In this column, SWAN News publishes articles that could help sex workers rights advocates in their daily work: how to challenge the myths surrounding sex work, how to fight abolitionists, how to work with media, communicate, create an effective message and get it across.

Tips on Using the Media for Our Purposes
New approaches can be invaluable in sensitizing a hostile public or achieving a shift in the tone of the media coverage of sex workers. The most important factor in having good media relations and a fair coverage is to nurture good working relations with a group of journalists. But even insensitive journalists can be educated or „tamed”, if we can offer them something in return for their cooperation. More

New issue dedicated to December 17: click HERE.

Printable version in PDF format is on its way.

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JOIN global campaign: Paper Doll Campaign 2012
Zawadi Smartlove and her friends travel all over the world to tell people about the importance of the female condom. Zawadi is a paper doll, and there are thousands more like her. She is the heart of the Female Condom Paper Doll Campaign of the Universal Access to Female Condoms Joint Programme . UAFC started in 2008 with the aim of making female condoms accessible, available and affordable to all. In 2011 UAFC worked with 40 partner organizations from all over the world on the Paper Doll Campaign. Because of its success, this campaign will be continued in 2012 and we would like to invite you to join us.Read more.

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the alternative International AIDS Conference 2012 event for sex workers and allies.
21 to 27 July 2012 | Swabhumi, Kolkata, India.

 Read more on NSWP website: www.nswp.org/page/iac-2012

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STOP DISCRIMINATION AGAINST CHILDREN WITH HIV/AIDS Petition | GoPetition

Tanzanian schools demand that HIV+ children wear red uniform or red ribbon to schools. NGOs and groups are collecting signatures for their petition to address such discrimination.
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SWAN Vacancy: Advocacy Officer
Part-time position (2 years term)

Application Deadline: April 10, 2012
Start date: May 10, 2012

The Advocacy Officer is primarily responsible for managing and implementing SWAN’s advocacy work, based on the strategic objectives outlined in SWAN’s 2011-2013 strategy. This includes but is not limited to contributing to SWAN’s annual planning, advancing SWAN’s advocacy priorities and projects, fundraising for advocacy work in collaboration with SWAN’s Executive Director, contributing to advocacy capacity building of SWAN’s staff and members, proactively monitoring and responding to advocacy openings for SWAN and its members as they arise, building and maintaining advocacy-related partnerships and representing SWAN in external human rights, sex worker, HIV, sexual and reproductive health and rights and other relevant forums as needed for the implementation of SWAN’s strategic objectives.

The Advocacy Officer will be managed by and report to SWAN’s Executive Director and will work closely with SWAN’s Communications Officer.
Read announcement here.

Macedonia: September issue of STAR newsletter

Common Human Rights Violations Experienced by Sex Workers
Prepared by Open Society Public Health Program, this document pairs common violations experienced by sex workers with relevant provisions of major human rights treaties. The violations included in this document were reported by European and Central Asian sex worker organizations and advocates, who are members of the Sex Workers’ Rights Advocacy Network (SWAN).
Download PDF file in English.
Download PDF file in Russian.

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NSWP. Research for Sex Work: Sex and Violence
17 DECEMBER 2010 – The Global Network of Sex Work Projects (NSWP) is commemorating the 7th annual International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers with the release of the “Sex Work and Violence” issue of the annual NSWP journal Research for Sex Work and the launch of a brand new NSWP website at nswp.org. Both the journal and the website amplify the voices of sex worker-led organising projects around the world that speak out about violence from police, institutions, clients, and intimate partners, while debunking the myth that sex work is inherently gender-based violence. More..

STAR team at their office opening, Macedonia, 2011