International Sex Worker Pride 2025 by NSWP

Sex Worker Pride, held annually on 14th September, is a day to celebrate and share stories of sex workers’ self-determination and the achievements of the sex worker rights movement. Sex Worker Pride extends to all marginalised by criminalisation, discrimination and stigma across the sex worker movement and celebrates the diversity within our community.

Below is just a small selection of the ways NSWP members marked Sex Worker Pride 2025. Beyond these statements, our members celebrated with in-person events, digital meetings, and sharing achievements across social media and online spaces.
 

United Kingdom: English Collective of Prostitutes

English Collective of Prostitutes International Sex Workers’ Day demo, 2 June 2025. Credit: Juno Mac

The English Collective of Prostitutes (ECP) proudly celebrated victories that show the power of sex workers fighting collectively for safety and decriminalisation.

ECP explained more: 

“’Prostitute cautions’, especially devastating for street-based workers, still brand us as criminals for life, and we have taken action against them. We launched Proceed Without Caution in Parliament, exposed their injustice in national media, won support from over 80 organisations, and organised a powerful demonstration outside Parliament on International Sex Workers’ Day to demand change. 

When amendments to the Crime & Policing Bill threatened to criminalise our friends, families, and clients and dismantle the platforms we need to work independently and safely, we mobilised, organised protests, and ensured those amendments were defeated. We called out corrupt politicians who line their own pockets and vote for welfare cuts whilst criminalising mothers working to support their families. When Jasmine, a mother and sex worker in our network, was charged with brothel-keeping simply for providing a safe shared space where sex workers could work together, we helped her find a strong lawyer, supported her through years of waiting for the case to come to court, and built collective support until she won her case. And in Brighton, a town on the south coast of the UK, more than 1,250 people added their names to our petition, making our demands for safety and decriminalisation impossible for the council to ignore. 

These victories matter because they challenge laws designed to isolate and endanger us, and they show that sex workers, working together and organised, are a force for justice. We remain unwavering in our resistance to the criminalisation, sexism and racism that targets migrant workers, women of colour, and trans women in particular. This Sex Worker Pride, we celebrate our resilience and our unstoppable demand for full decriminalisation.”

Kenya: KNESWO Feminist Initiative

The KNESWO Feminist Initiative shared the milestones they are most proud of over the last year.

“We are delighted to share that KNESWO Feminist Initiative will be marking this important day with young refugee, migrant, stateless, and internally displaced sex workers at the grassroots level, under our “Take Care of Caregivers” programme. On this day, we will also hold our first EDs Forum, prioritising young sex worker leaders from these communities with a strong focus on mental wellness and well-being.

This year, the theme of our celebration is centred around the milestones we are most proud of as an organisation:

• Prioritising mental wellness and well-being by creating safe spaces and providing psychosocial support for sex workers.
• Amplifying the voices and visibility of refugee, migrant, stateless, and internally displaced sex workers, ensuring their experiences are recognised and respected within the broader movement.
• Establishing SRHR hubs that integrate access to sexual and reproductive health services with mental health and psychosocial care.
• Supporting over 500 sex workers at grassroots level through housing support, access to medication, emergency and crisis response, economic empowerment, and legal empowerment to advocate for their rights.
• Launching the Refugee Speak Out Project, a powerful platform for refugee, migrant, stateless, and internally displaced sex workers in all their diversities to share their lived realities, challenge stigma, and shape narratives that affirm their dignity and rights.

We are proud of these milestones and look forward to celebrating them during Sex Worker Pride, in solidarity with the global sex worker rights movement.”

Zimbabwe: All Women Advocacy

All Women Advocacy reflected on a year of progress for Sex Worker Pride.

“Over the past year, AWA has continued to strengthen grassroots movement building for sex workers’ rights, thanks to the support of partners like the Red Umbrella Fund, Mama Cash and Aidsfonds. Through research, public campaigns, creative arts, activism, and dialogues, we have amplified the voices of sex workers and lobbied for policy changes to advance decriminalisation. Despite losing 44% of our funding due to the Trump Stop Work order, we have demonstrated resilience and innovation, achieving remarkable milestones that we are proud to celebrate.

AWA has expanded its geographic presence to over seven provinces in Zimbabwe, significantly increasing our ability to serve and support our growing membership of over 13,000 sex workers. This expansion has been instrumental in creating a stronger, more unified grassroots movement, enabling sex workers to engage with a diverse range of stakeholders, including human rights organisations, government ministries, policymakers, law enforcement, and development partners.

Key Achievements Over the Past Year

Our collective efforts have led to several notable successes that highlight the resilience and determination of our community:

• Expansion of Sex Workers Peer-Support Networks: We have established 4 new safe spaces across more provinces, enabling sex workers to share resources, personal stories, and strategies for resilience. These safe spaces have become a lifeline for many, fostering solidarity and mutual support.
• Community-Led Monitoring in Health Facilities: AWA successfully implemented a community-led monitoring project at 12 health facilities, challenging discriminatory policies and practices in public health services. This initiative has resulted in improved access to essential healthcare for sex workers, ensuring their rights to dignity and care are upheld.
• Advocacy and Awareness: Through targeted advocacy and awareness campaigns, we have increased understanding of sex workers’ rights among key institutions. This has fostered a more collaborative and rights-based approach to addressing the needs of sex workers.
• Growth in Membership and Collective Voice: Our membership has grown significantly, strengthening our collective voice and amplifying our fight against stigma, discrimination, and criminalisation.

Standing in Solidarity with the Global Movement

As a proud member of NSWP, AWA stands in solidarity with sex workers’ rights collectives worldwide. We are inspired by the shared commitment to decriminalisation and the advancement of sex workers’ rights. Together, we celebrate the progress we have made and reaffirm our dedication to the ongoing struggle for justice and equality.

On this year’s Sex Worker Pride Day, we honour the resilience of sex workers in Zimbabwe and across the globe. We celebrate our achievements, reflect on our journey, and look forward to a future where sex workers’ rights are fully recognised and respected.”

United States: New Moon Network

New Moon Network marked Sex Worker Pride by celebrating their achievements across the United States.

“New Moon Network mobilized philanthropy and re-granted over $230,000 into the movement for sex worker rights in the United States in 2024. We spoke at 7 large philanthropy conferences about sex workers’ rights, including our first plenary conversation . We launched a cohort of sex worker service providers on the frontlines of HIV prevention and care to bolster the ecosystem of sex worker-led HIV response. We helped groups in Vermont and Louisiana pass protections for sex workers in the legislature.”

Author NSWP

Source portal nswp.org