Resisting in the Crosshairs: Anti-Rights Agendas and Sex Workers Briefing for Funders and Activists

In recent years, religious and conservative forces are increasingly working to undermine human rights related to bodily autonomy, gender, migration, labor rights, race and sexuality. In some countries, these movements drive government policy, as authoritarian politicians seek to fuel fear of ‘others’ to consolidate power. The anti-rights movements have particularly attacked communities whose rights-based issues are still not consistently supported by the progressive movements. This way, the conservative and anti-democratic forces have used a weakness of the progressive movement to splinter and undermine their opposition and keep their hold on power. National governments have used the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to further control reproductive and sexual health and rights, while increasing police surveillance. Progressive philanthropy is beginning to respond but is massively outspent by conservative and religious institutions pouring billions into anti-rights and anti-gender institutions.

This briefing will focus our attention on how sex workers in particular are affected by these anti-rights movements.

Moderator: Mauro Cabral Grinspan, Global Philanthropy Project

Speakers:

☂ Phelister Abdalla, National Coordinator of Kenyan Sex Workers Alliance and President of Global Network of Sex Work Projects
☂ Ceyenne Doroshow, Founder, GLITS
☂ Thierry Schaffauser, Co-Founder, STRASS
☂ Jules Kim, CEO of Scarlet Alliance and Chair of Asia Pacific Network of Sex Workers
☂ Karina Bravo, Regional Coordinator, PLAPERTS
☂ Dr. Tlaleng Mofokeng, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health
☂ Mesfin Getahun, UNDP