Sex Workers Alliance Ireland

Statement about Google and Ugly Mugs

February 28, 2019

SWAI is extremely concerned for the safety of sex workers in Ireland, as Ugly Mugs a widely used by sex workers has been rejected by Google to allows its app to screen calls and texts. This app screens calls and text for dangerous clients. Ugly Mugs applied for an exemption to new rules by Google to clamp down on apps, that require phone and sms permissions, but Google rejected its application.

This app is used by sex workers all over Ireland on a daily basis and they rely on it to keep them safe. It is extremely concerning that an app, which keeps sex workers safe from dangerous clients and has helped prevent many attacks on sex workers is having one of its keys means to keep sex workers safe being removed from the app.

Catriona, a sex worker “I use this app all the time and honestly without it I would probably be beaten or robbed. This is something I don’t say lightly, but my safety has been indispensable to the existent of this app. I am really worried for myself and my colleagues, that such an important part of the app is being removed.”

Kate McGrew, director of SWAI says “Sex workers, and trans workers in particular, are some of the most vulnerable people on the planet. Sex work is not illegal in Ireland, but working together with another worker is. What little safety nets we have are being eroded.

We all deserve to work in safety and removing this feature from Ugly Mugs will be put in danger because of this issue. Google need to step up and do the right thing so that we can continue to remain safe”

press release: One prosecution for man caught up in raid shows law is not fit for purpose

January 21, 2019

Sex Workers Want Rights Not Rescue ess releasem

Kate McGrew, director of Sex Workers Alliance Ireland (SWAI) says “This man was caught procuring sex during a raid on a so-called brothel, when two or more workers work together. This case yet against highlights how the law is being used against workers who may want to work together for safety reasons. This man was collateral damage in an ill-fated war to end demand. He was not the intended target of the raid, the workers were.”

She continues “As a result of this prosecution workers will be forced to work alone, which increases their vulnerability. Working or living with another sex worker is illegal in Ireland. Penalties doubled for workers working in pairs or groups when the law change and this change in law happened quietly, but it is an extremely dangerous piece of legislation. The Nordic model purportedly is meant to target the client but by this law, but if we want to work legally here we are forced to work alone. Violent attacks specifically increased on us 77% in the first year of the law being introduced. This is not a coincidence.”

“This is the first prosecution of a client under the laws brought in in 2017, but from statistics we go from the Central Statistics office we know 55 people have been arrested. We can only conclude that the rest of those prosecuted under brothel keeping laws are the workers themselves. Is this really what this law was introduced for?”

“For sex workers the police are vectors of violence, not of safety or harm reduction. Many migrant sex workers, already on the margins of society, are offered the choice of leaving the country or face prosecution and possibly deportation. When anti-sex work organisations speak about all sex work being violence, including the consensual transactions, what recourse do we have when we are actually assaulted?”

“No one is asking about the sex workers who have been caught in this raid. We hope they are safe and getting the support they need and we would like to remind them and all other sex workers that we are here for peer-led, non judgemental support for all sex workers”

Press release: Garda and laws fail the most vulnerable

December 17, 2018

End Violence Against Sex Workers

While new report shows that Sex Workers working even in partially criminalised settings face three times the amount of violence, it remains completely illegal for two workers to work together for safety in Ireland.

Today is International Day to Eliminate Violence Against Sex Workers. In a year of difficult conversations which challenged the status quo and led to real gains for women and people who can get pregnant in Ireland, we must continue to push further to ensure bodily autonomy and the safety of everyone, including sex workers.

Kate McGrew, director of Sex Workers Alliance Ireland (SWAI) says “Penalties for workers working in pairs or groups doubled was a change in law that happened quietly, but it is an extremely dangerous piece of legislation. The Nordic model purportedly is meant to target the client but by this law, but if we want to work legally here we are forced to work alone. Violent attacks specifically increased on us 77% in the first year of the law being introduced. This is not a coincidence.”

She continues “We talk to worker after worker whose safety and income has become increasingly precarious. Many are forced to seek assistance for housing by criminals who prey upon our vulnerability. In a time of housing crisis we are exploited by landlords who take advantage of our brothel keeping laws to extract enormous sums for use of their property.

Trans sex workers of colour are some of the most vulnerable people in the world. Sex work is one of the few avenues of income open to trans people. While we have quite progressive law on gender recognition in Ireland employment opportunities are rare. Until proper supports are put in place for everyone people will still continue to see sex work as their opportunity for independence and income.

The officers who arrest us are the ones we are to report to if we are assaulted. For sex workers the police are vectors of violence, not of safety or harm reduction. Many migrant sex workers, already on the margins of society, are offered the choice of leaving the country or face prosecution and possibly deportation. When anti-sex work organisations speak about all sex work being violence, including the consensual transactions, what recourse do we have when we are actually assaulted?

We see reports published that back up what we have known anecdotally for years; that when any aspect of sex work is criminalised, including the purchase of sex, violence against sex workers is normalised. We want sex work decriminalised so that we are no longer pushed to the margins. How long can some feminist organisations, the government and the health department ignore the growing body of evidence that shows that their policies are damaging our health?”

Press Release: Normalised violence against some of societies most vulnerable due to policing of sex work

December 12, 2018

Sex Workers Want Rights Not Rescue

Since the laws have been introduced there have been 55 people arrested for prostitution offences, but only 2 of them are clients. Garda resources are already stretched without having to police consensual acts between a sex worker and their client.

Sex Workers Alliance Ireland (SWAI) supports the findings of the associations between sex work laws and sex workers’ health, that criminalisation of sex work including the purchase of sex normalises violence against sex workers. The report shows that when aspects of sex work are policed there are higher instances of HIV among sex workers, less safe sex, more instances of violence by their clients and others including the police, lack of access to support and that it leads to workers are taking more risks in order to work and survive. Whereas in places where sex work is tolerated workers have more access to justice and better bargaining power with their clients.

Kate McGrew, SWAI’s director says “This report backs up what we already knew; that sex workers lives and health, including mental health, are damaged by aspects of our work being criminalised. Criminalisation of clients, which is the law introduced here last year, means that workers are forced to take more risks. Fines were also increased for sex workers working together for safety, which fall under the crime of brothel-keeping. These laws were introduced to “rescue” sex workers from our work but this report shows that policing of sex work leads to poorer outcomes.”

She continued “As we predicted, violence against sex workers rose dramatically once these brothel-keeping and client criminalisation laws came in. When a serial rapist or attacker shows up in our community, often workers will only share this information amongst ourselves and not report because of the threat of prosecution.

The officers who arrest us are the ones we are to report to if we are assaulted. For sex workers the police are vectors of violence, not of safety or harm reduction. Many migrant sex workers, already on the margins of society, are offered the choice of leaving the country or face prosecution and possibly deportation. How is there oversight and care shown in these cases? How can that lead to improved interactions and trust with the state?

The laws put in place in 2017 are scheduled for a review in 2020 but until that time sex workers face increased violence and a reduction in safety. We are collateral damage in the ill-fated war against our means of survival.”

We got the following stats from the Central Statistics Office when we requested information on prostitution offenses

Recorded Crime Offences Under Reservation (Number) by Type of Offence and Quarter

134 ,Prostitution offences	2017Q1	2017Q2	2017Q3	2017Q4	2018Q1	2018Q2
	9	6	12	12	11	5

Statistics Under Reservation.
For further information see our
(http://www.cso.ie/en/methods/crime/statisticsunderreservationfaqs/) Under Reservation FAQ page
(http://www.cso.ie/en/methods/crime/recordedcrime/) See Background Notes

134 Prostitution Offences is made up of

1341 Brothel keeping
1342 Organisation of prostitution
1343 Prostitution, including soliciting etc

Speech at Reclaim the Night Belfast 2018

November 25, 2018

Reclaim the Night Belfast

Last night we spoke at the Reclaim the Night Belfast march. Below is the text of our speech.

Firstly, thank you for having SWAI here and asking us to speak. I honestly wish I wasn’t standing here talking, but my colleague and friend Laura Lee instead. These are big boots to fill and it is extremely difficult to do justice for someone who has done so much work for the sex worker movement and also acting as essentially SWAI’s Northern Ireland representative. Building bridges between allies such as Belfast Feminist Network to make sure sex worker voices were included in events like this and building a sex worker community here in the North.

This year has not been an easy year for sexual violence here on the island of Ireland between the Belfast rape trial and now the recent trial in Cork. How can sex workers have any hope under those circumstances, when the criminal justice system will blame our work for when we try to seek justice. And how can sex workers have hope, when organisations which seek to support victims of sexual violence debate against us and only recently tried to prevent us from having an event. Or use these events like Cork and Belfast to further criminalise our work.

Their demand for criminalising our clients and our workplace, when two or more sex workers share together, makes us easy targets for rapists. There are serial rapists out there at this moment, who only target sex workers because they know we won’t report to the police in fear our place of work will become a surveillance target by police to catch our clients. And even more so, as a migrant sex worker fearful they will be deported and all their earnings taken off them to pay for their deportation if they are discovered working together. Why would you want to report a rape, when the outcome could make you lose literally everything?

But yet our voices are silenced and ignored.

Client criminalisation also known as the Swedish Model, because it has its roots in Sweden. This was seen by anti-sex work feminists as a beacon of hope. But all it did was put sex worker further at risk of violence and exploitation, especially the most vulnerable.

Petite Jasmine was a sex worker in Sweden, who had her children taken away because she was a sex working mother. the father, with a history of violence was given custody. Shortly afterwards he killed her in front of the very social workers who took her children away.

Many anti-sex work feminists believe that the increase of violence, which will inevitably happen as a result of client criminalisation, is seen as a deterrent for anyone who may consider becoming a prostitute. Sex workers are seen as collateral damage to further this agenda. You don’t have to take my word for it – ask Frances Fitzgerald, the ex-Justice Minister, who introduced this law in the South.

Reclaim the Night started in response to the Yorkshire Ripper murders when police told women to stay inside after dark while the Ripper was on the lose. The Yorkshire Ripper first targeted sex workers and there was only a public outcry when non-sex working women were targets.

This is why sex workers need to be part of any movement against sexual violence as we are often the easy target and amongst the less likely to get justice.

Press Release: Not all Women included in Big Picture RTE program: “A Woman’s World”

November 22, 2018

Sex Workers Alliance Ireland Censored from Big Picture RTE program: “A Women’s World”

“A Woman’s World” is due to be aired tonight on RTE. SWAI contacted the program about having someone from their organisation or an individual specifically affected by these issues to take part as an audience member, but they were refused. Kate McGrew, director of SWAI was told by the researcher that someone who has experience in this area will be there. When SWAI asked if it was a current sex worker – as these are the people suffering a targeted increase of violence on a daily basis – SWAI was told by the program that they “did not have time for this”.

Kate McGrew said “This is unacceptable. This is a silencing of the voices of the very people whose physical and sexaul assault is being swept under the carpet in order to push forward with a law that only serves a moral agenda. Big Picture cannot claim to investigate the topic of violence against women and precarity whilst blocking and ignoring the people whose lives are most endangered in Ireland on a daily basis. There is no-one who can speak on their safety concerns and lived experience but these people themselves. With what other group of people would this be acceptable?”

She continues “In 2018 we have seen momentous change for women when we repealed the 8th Amendment, but we have also seen some devastating sexual assault cases come to light. One of the reasons we were able to repeal the 8th was that we encouraged people to have difficult conversations. We asked people to be brave and face those awkward conversations and asked people to listen to real stories. We all want the best for women and girls and we should be open to hearing the experiences of those affected, not just those that agree with us. Bodily autonomy extends further than abortion access.”

Aoife Bloom, sex worker and board member of SWAI, added “Sex Workers Alliance Ireland is comprised of and represents some of the most marginalised and vulnerable women in Ireland. Sex workers, particularly trans women and people of colour in sex work, disproportionately suffer sexual violence in their lives and work, exacerbated by laws which make our work more dangerous and precarious. Yet not only have we been excluded from the #metoo movement, but in many cases in Ireland have been subject to prominent women’s organisations and feminists claiming that sex workers in fact are the one group of women whose consent does not mean anything. Exchange of money for sex does not negate consent.

In the face of rising rates of violence against this specific group and their position of being the only people it is deemed acceptable to victim-blame, it is unacceptable that they have been refused a place in the audience on this very topic.”

Press release: New report leaves sex workers out in the cold says Sex Workers Alliance Ireland

November 13, 2018

New report leaves sex workers out in the cold says Sex Workers Alliance Ireland

‘Disrupt Demand’, a report published today fails to address the reality of the lives of sex workers in all their diversity. In Ireland, buying sex is a criminal offence under the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act, 2017.

Sex Workers Alliance Ireland has seen the law do the opposite of protecting sex workers, putting them at more risk of exploitation by third parties, clients and landlords.

Kate McGrew, director of SWAI says “We have seen an increase in attacks against sex workers including a spate of violent knife attacks a few months after the law was introduced in the Republic of Ireland. There has also been an increase in trafficking in Northern Ireland in the last year, which seems to be the opposite of this law was purported to do. This is not raised in the report.”

She continues “We have already seen an increase in violence against sex workers in the short time since the criminalisation of clients has been introduced in Ireland. Even though sex work becomes more risky, difficult or dangerous, it is seen as worth it. Are currently working sex workers collateral damage in the futile quest to eradicate sex work entirely?”

As in the report published today by Disrupt Demand, there is an increasing transparency about criminalisation of sex work being pushed for its purported protection of society at large, namely, women who are not sex workers. Therefore we see organisations who support further criminalisation of sex work minimize or ignore the harms and negative impacts that come from criminalisation.

The report conflates human trafficking and exploitation with sex work. While exploitation, violence, harm and safety issues clearly exist, most sex workers didn’t want client criminalisation as a means to address these issues. Conflating human trafficking with all sex work only serves to marginalise and silence those best placed to report exploitative situations and fails to acknowledge the choices women may make to migrate to engage in sex work. The best way to tackle human trafficking is to strengthen identification procedures and prevention measures within the trafficking framework.

In Ireland, the review of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act, 2017 due to take place in 2020 needs to ensure that sex workers themselves have the opportunity to be heard and their evidence taken on board in shaping Irish policy on sex work and humane responses that uphold the human rights and dignity of all sex workers.

People engage in sex work due to a variety of reasons such as unequal access to education, healthcare, housing and social supports. It’s much easier to criminalise the purchase of sex work and brothel-keeping than to face that the compounding factors that make people susceptible to exploitation are too complex to be solved, with a broad stroke, by making a job illegal and shaming it out of existence.

Poverty is the driving factor in instances of trafficking. It is not subsidiary to demand for sexual services as the report states. When people have to use third parties to migrate and find work across borders they are more likely to see the terms of their agreement change or be taken completely out of their control. Their vulnerability becomes manifold. The report fails to address this reality for migrant sex workers.

Urgent information regarding recent knife attacks and robberies in Dublin 30_06_2017

June 30, 2017

English:

There have been a number of knife attacks and robberies in the Dublin area over the last few days. The victims have mostly been Trans sex workers, but not all.
If you have any information about these attacks please contact Garda – Lucy Myles 086 828 2515 / Lucilla.D.Myles@garda.ie . These people need to be stopped! All contact with Lucy is safe and confidential. It does not matter what your immigration status is.

For information about the attacks and how to keep safe get in contact with SWAI Ph: 085 824 9305

SWAI is also holding a private emergency meeting for sex workers this Monday July 3rd in Dublin. For exact time and location details contact us on 085 824 9305 or email dearbhla@swai.eu

Please use www.uglymugs.ie Try not to see any new clients and work in pairs or groups if you can.

Español:

Hemos sido notificador de una serie de robos armados con cuchillos bastante serios y por las mismas personas en Dublin. En su mayoria, las personas atacadas fueron escorts transexuales brasileras, pero no unicamente. Estos ataques fueron violentos, y necesitamos tomar toda precaucion posible imediatamente.

Contacten nuestra Garda de referencia – Lucy Myles 086 828 2515/ Lucilla.D.Myles@garda.ie con cualquier informacion. Todo contacto con Lucy es seguro y confidencial. No importa cuál sea su situación migratoria.

Para obtener información sobre los ataques y cómo mantenerse seguro, póngase en contacto con SWAI Ph: 085 824 9305

SWAI esta organizandouna reunion de urgencia este lunes 3 de Julio en Dublin, por la direccion exacta contacto SWAI 085 824 9305 or email dearbhla@swai.eu

Por favor , use www.uglymugs.ie Trate de no ver a nuevos clientes y trabajar en parejas o grupos si puede.

Português:

Tem ocorrido muito recentemente em Dublin diversos ataques com o uso de faca seguidos de roubo. As mesmas pessoas tem realizado esses ataques principalmente contra TS/TV escorts brasileiras, mas não apenas. Os ataques tem sido violentos e nós precisamos ter muito cuidado.
Se tiver qualquer informação, contacte nossa contata policial Lucy Myles: 086 828 2515/ Lucilla.D.Myles@garda.ie Todo contato com a Lucy é seguro e confidencial. Não importa qual é o seu status de imigração.

Para obter informações sobre os ataques e sobre como manter contato com SWAI Ph: 085 824 9305

SWAI está organizando e reunião de emergência para sex workers esta segunda-feira, 3 de julho, em Dublin. Para o tempo exato e localização contato SWAI SWAI 085 824 9305 or email dearbhla@swai.eu

Por favor, use www.uglymugs.ie Tente não ver novos clientes e trabalhar em pares ou grupos se puder.

Urgent informatii cu privire la recentele atacuri de cuţit şi jafuri în Dublin 30_06_2017

June 30, 2017

Engleză: Au existat o serie de atacuri de cuţit şi jafuri în zona Dublin peste ultimele câteva zile. Victimele au fost Trans lucrãtorii din industria sexului, dar nu toate. Dacă aveţi orice informaţii despre aceste atacuri vă rugăm să contactaţi Garda – Lucy Myles 086 828 2515 / Lucilla.D.Myles@garda.ie. Aceste persoane trebuie să fie oprit! Orice contact cu Lucy este în siguranţă şi confidenţiale. Nu contează ce este statutul dumneavoastră de imigrant. Pentru informaţii despre atacurile şi cum să păstraţi în siguranţă intra in contact cu pH-ul SWAI: 085 824 9305 SWAI este, de asemenea, deţine o întâlnire de urgenţă privat pentru lucrãtorii din industria sexului 3 iulie acest luni în Dublin. Pentru ora exactă şi locul detalii contact ne pe 085 824 9305 sau email dearbhla@swai.eu vă rugăm să folosiţi www.uglymugs.ie încercaţi nu a vedea orice noi clienti şi să lucreze în perechi sau grupuri, dacă se poate. Español: Hemos sido notificador de una serie de robos armados con pamflet bastante serioasa y por las repeta personas ro Dublin. En su mayoria, las personas atacadas fueron escorte transexuales brasileras, pero no unicamente. Estos ataques fueron violentos, necesitamos y tomar toda posible precaucion imediatamente. Contacten nuestra Garda de referencia – Lucy Myles 086 828 2515 / Lucilla.D.Myles@garda.ie con cualquier informacion. Todo contacto con Lucy es seguro y confidencial. Nici un istvan de cuál de mare su situación migratoria. Para obtener información sobre los ataques y cómo mantenerse seguro, póngase en contacto con SWAI Ph: 085 824 9305 SWAI esta organizandouna reuniune de urgencia este duminică 3 de Julio ro Dublin, por la direccion exacta contacto SWAI 085 824 9305 sau e-mail dearbhla@swai.eu Por favor, utilizaţi www.uglymugs.ie Trate de nici o ver o nuevos clientes y IMSAT ro o parejas grupos si puede. Português: Met ocorrido muito recentemente em Dublin diversos ataques com o uso de sa faca seguidos de roubo. Ca mesmas pessoas Met realizado esses ataques principalmente contra TS/TV escorte brasileiras, mas não apenas. OS ataques Met sido violentos e nós precisamos ter muito cuidado. Informação de qualquer se tiver, contacte nossa contata Diseminam Lucy Myles: 086 828 2515 / Lucilla.D.Myles@garda.ie Todo contato com o é Lucy seguro e confidencial. Não istvan qual é o seu statutul de imigração. Para obter informações sobre os ataques e sobre como manter contato com SWAI Ph: 085 824 9305 SWAI está organizando e reunião de emergência para sex lucrătorilor esta segunda-feira, 3 de julho, em Dublin. Para o tempo exato e localização contato SWAI SWAI 085 824 9305 sau e-mail dearbhla@swai.eu Por favor, utilizarea www.uglymugs.ie Tente não ver novos clientes e trabalhar em pares ou grupos se firel.

Informação urgente sobre os recentes ataques de faca e roubos em Dublin 30_06_2017

June 30, 2017

Inglês: Tem havido um número de ataques de faca e assaltos na área de Dublin durante os últimos dias. As vítimas foram principalmente Trans profissionais do sexo, mas não todos. Se você tem alguma informação sobre estes ataques entre em contato com o Garda – Lucy Myles 086 828 2515 / Lucilla.D.Myles@garda.ie. Estas pessoas precisam de ser parado! Todo o contato com a Lucy é seguro e confidencial. Não importa qual é o seu status de imigração. Para obter informações sobre os ataques e como manter seguro entrar em contato com Ph SWAI: 085 824 9305 SWAI é também segurando uma reunião de emergência para os trabalhadores do sexo nesta segunda-feira 3 de julho em Dublin. Para a hora exata e detalhes de localização contato nos em 085 824 9305 ou e-mail dearbhla@swai.eu por favor, use o www.uglymugs.ie não tente ver novos clientes e trabalhar em pares ou grupos, se puder. Español: Hemos sido notificador de una serie de roubos armados con cuchillos bastante serios y por las repetir personas en Dublin. EN su maioria, las personas atacadas eles eram acompanhantes transexuales brasileras, pero não unicamente. Estos ataques eles eram violentos, y precisamos tomar toda precaucion posible imediatamente. Contacten nuestra Garda de referencia – Lucy Myles 086 828 2515 / Lucilla.D.Myles@garda.ie con cualquier informacion. Todo contacto con Lucy es seguro y confidencial. Não importa qual mar su situación migratoria. Para obtener información sobre los ataques y cómo mantenerse seguro, fique con de contacto pt SWAI Ph: 085 824 9305 SWAI esta organizandouna reunião de urgencia lunes este 3 pt Julio de Dublin, por la Dirección exata contacto SWAI 085 824 9305 ou e-mail dearbhla@swai.eu Por favor, use www.uglymugs.ie Trate de não ver um nuevos clientes y trabalhar en parejas ó grupos si puede. Português: Tem ocorrido muito recentemente em Dublin diversos ataques com o uso de faca seguidos de roubo. Como mesmas pessoas tem realizado esses ataques prejuízo contra TS/TV Acompanhantes brasileiras, mas não apenas… Os ataques tem sido violentos e nós precisamos ter muito cuidado. Se Eva qualquer informação, contacte nossa contata policial Lucy Myles: 086 828 2515 / Lucilla.D.Myles@garda.ie Todo contato com a Lucy é seguro e confidencial. Não importa qual é o seu estatuto de imigração. Para obter informações sobre os ataques e sobre como manter contato com SWAI Ph: 085 824 9305 emergência Pará da SWAI está organizando e participou do sexo dos trabalhadores esta segunda-feira, 3 de julho, em Dublin. Para o ritmo exato e localização contato SWAI SWAI 085 824 9305 ou e-mail dearbhla@swai.eu Por favor, uso www.uglymugs.ie Tente não ver novos clientes e figurou em pares ou grupos se puder.