The project of humanitarian aid for Ukrainian sex workers has been extended

We are happy to announce that the project of providing humanitarian aid and psycho-emotional support to sex workers by CO "Legalife-Ukraine" has been extended. Our partners from the Netherlands, Aidsfonds - Soa Aids Nederland, did not remain indifferent to the needs of sex workers in Ukraine and supported our initiative financially.

In recent months, our team has been actively working to find new funding, as the economic situation of SWs has not only not improved, but continues to deteriorate.

Thus, according to the results of the 2024 barriers to access to services assessment, the main needs of SWs remain: humanitarian aid (81% of SWs), legal and psychological support, access to HIV testing, viral hepatitis and STI screening. The need for housing is also growing: 46 per cent of SWs in Ukraine pay rent, 37 per cent were forced to change their city/address due to the war. At the same time, crisis of housing remains scarcely available, as most social institutions for people in crisis are overcrowded with IDPs as a result of the war.

IMPACT OF THE WAR ON SEX WORKERS IN UKRAINE

The war and its consequences have a painful impact on the psychological and physical health, economic and material situation, as well as the legal and social status of our clients. In addition to the persistent stigma and discrimination, the risks associated with the illegality of sex work in Ukraine have been compounded by new life-threatening risks, and the conditions of sex work have become even more dangerous. The vulnerability of sex workers to rights violations and violence has increased.

Among our clients are many women who have been left without livelihoods, without housing, and cannot provide themselves and their families with the necessary resources and food. On the other hand, women who did not provide sex services for remuneration before the war are forced into sex work. Most often, these are IDP women who are forced to migrate across the country, having minor children or sick parents to support, and they do not have housing, work, legal and informational support, etc.

Criminalisation and lack of official employment deprive sex workers of state benefits/compensations for being victims of this war.

WHAT WE WANT TO CHANGE

It is obvious that under such conditions, members of our community are largely excluded from making humanitarian decisions that affect their families. Living on the verge of survival and the daily struggle for the most necessary resources, in the absence of access to legal, medical and social services - all this does not contribute to women’s leadership in advocacy programs.

In order to strengthen women’s leadership and participation, it is necessary to restore the ties in the community that have been broken by the war, to re-engage community members in joint action and to participate in advocacy efforts, including in humanitarian planning and implementation. This will only be possible if the priority needs for the survival of the community are met. These are the results of our Solidarity in Action project.

SOLIDARITY IN ACTION PROJECT ("СОЛІДАРНІСТЬ В ДІЇ")

The project envisages activities in two areas. First is to meet the primary needs of the SWs in resources and services. Second - to involve SWs in implementation and monitoring of the project’s humanitarian response activities.

The project will cover 18 regions of Ukraine. In each of these regions, the SWs will be able to receive monthly assistance in the form of food, hygiene products and other goods as needed. Women and their families will be able to rent temporary accommodation.

The project envisages the operation of the Helpline - sex workers who are at increased risk of violence, stigma, discrimination in war conditions will have access to legal and psychological support, peer counseling, etc.

To support the mental health of SWs, monthly self-help groups will be held in the regions for members of the initiative groups, as well as joint trainings on psycho-emotional support for our leaders.

Additionally, the project envisages organisational development and measures to strengthen the advocacy capacity of the SWs community. Regional leaders will collect the needs of sex workers, conduct self-help groups for members of sex workers initiative groups, distribute humanitarian kits among sex workers, conduct surveys as part of collecting needs and assessing services for sex workers.

In total, at least 1,500 sex workers will be able to receive humanitarian assistance in 2025.

We express our respect and sincere gratitude to Aidsfonds - Soa Aids Nederland for the support of the community!

Crew of the CO “Legalife-Ukraine”