8 March in Ukraine: Do all women have the right to a voice?

Every year on the 8^th of March, the streets of our cities are filled with slogans calling for equality, safety and sisterhood. For the CO ‘Legalife-Ukraine’, these days are not just a date on the calendar, but a chronicle of our long-standing struggle. Our archive contains photos from the Women’s Marches of 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2021. In these photos, we stand shoulder to shoulder with other women, holding up posters for human rights.

But behind these vivid images of solidarity lies an uncomfortable question: do we all truly have equal rights within this movement?

Our placards have changed, but the goal has remained the same. As we look through the archive photos from the Ukrainian Women’s Marches of 2017–2021, we remind ourselves: the rights of sex workers are women’s rights!

INVISIBLE AMONG THE ‘EQUALS’

The sex workers’ community has been an integral part of the women’s movement in Ukraine for many years. We are joining this Marches because we are women who face violence, economic instability and discrimination.

Yet we often witness glaring paradoxes.

The police who protect us during the Women’s Marches are the very same forces that violate our rights every day outside of these events. When the cameras are turned off, solidarity disappears, and the harsh reality begins:

• For offline workers: this means constant raids, unlawful detentions, forced registration in ‘databases’, psychological pressure and extortion. The police use Article 181-1 of the Code of Administrative Offences as a tool of control, not justice.
• In the online sphere: recently, we have seen a wave of aggressive ‘raids’ on web models and content creators. These are accompanied by humiliating searches, the seizure of personal belongings and public shaming, which destroys women’s lives.

BUT the most painful thing is the discrimination from women themselves. Often, those who advocate for equality from the podium try to decide for us how we should live. They try to ‘save’ us by force, deciding for us how to control our own bodies, or simply push us to the sidelines of the agenda. We do not want to be ‘objects of salvation’ — we demand to be heard as subjects whose rights to work, privacy and safety must be inviolable.

WHAT DO WE REALLY DEMAND?

For us, 8 March is not about flowers, but about safety and dignity, which are impossible without fundamental changes to the law.

Our demands are not privileges, but tools for survival that will allow women to protect themselves from violence and exploitation:

Full decriminalisation of sex work (repeal of Article 181-1 of the Code of Administrative Offences): An end to administrative prosecution, which only breeds corruption and gives the police an excuse to put pressure..

Reform of the Criminal Code (Articles 301, 302, 303 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine): We demand the abolition of criminal liability for ‘pimping’, ‘running brothels’ and ‘distributing pornography’ in cases involving the voluntary work of adults.

Recognition of work and social security: We demand the right to a full ‘social package’, which every woman in Ukraine who is officially employed is entitled to.

DECRIMINALISATION WILL ALLOW US TO:

Work together: Join forces with colleagues in a single premises so as not to be left alone with a potential aggressors.

Hire security: Officially use security services.

Provide legal services: To hire managers, drivers or administrators without the risk of them being jailed for ‘complicity’.

Rent premises: To rent safe offices or flats for work without fear of this being classified as ‘running a brothel’.

Gain access to justice and protection from stigma: So that every woman, regardless of her profession, can approach the police as a victim, not as a criminal, and receive real protection, not further humiliation.

Stop the persecution of online work: A change in approach to ‘pornography’ laws, which are currently used to crack down on web models and content creators on platforms such as OnlyFans. Creating digital content with one’s own consent is not a crime.

SEX WORK IS WORK, AND IT SHOULD ENTITLE YOU TO:

State pension provision: The opportunity to build up pension contributions and feel secure about your future.

Paid sick leave and holidays: The right to rest and recover your health without fear of losing your livelihood.

Maternity protection: Maternity benefits, which are a fundamental right of every woman.

Protecting online work: This is an area where women often find financial independence, and the state must protect their privacy rather than persecute them for it.

Decriminalisation is the only way to transform a sex worker from a ‘target’ of law enforcement into an equal citizen whose work and personal safety are respected by the state.

TIME TO RECOGNISE DIVERSITY

We remain a part of the women’s movement in Ukraine. Our photos from marches in previous years are proof of our resilience. But solidarity cannot be selective. If we are talking about women’s rights, we must be talking about all women without exception.

Sex workers have the right to protection, healthcare and a dignified life just like any other woman in our country.

We are not asking for privileges — we are demanding justice!

The crew of CO “Legalife-Ukraine”