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SEX WORKERS ADVOCASY PROJECT IN LITHUANIA

SEX WORKERS ADVOCASY PROJECT IN LITHUANIA. MAIN GOAL AND TASKS OF THE SEX WORKERS ADVOCASY PROJECT IN LITHUANIA (THE PROJECT IS MADE IN COLABORATION WITH THE COALITION “I CAN LIVE” AND VILNIUS SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT CENTER).

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SEX WORKERS ADVOCASY PROJECT IN LITHUANIA

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  1. SEX WORKERS ADVOCASY PROJECT IN LITHUANIA

  2. MAIN GOAL AND TASKS OF THE SEX WORKERS ADVOCASY PROJECT IN LITHUANIA(THE PROJECT IS MADE IN COLABORATION WITH THE COALITION “I CAN LIVE” AND VILNIUS SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT CENTER) • To prepare recommendations for the local governments in order to discuss and solve juridical, social, medical and educational problems which sex workers faceby taking these steps: • To analyze the situation of the prostitution in Lithuania, Latvia and The Netherlands • To carry out the research in order to evaluate the real situation of sex workers in Lithuania • To analyze the results of research and prepare recommendations

  3. JURIDICAL SITUATION OF THE SEX WORKERS • The prostitution in Lithuania is not a criminal action: sex workers get a fine of 300-500 Litas or are arrested till 30 days (the law which regulates prostitution doesn’t work properly) • There are juridical barriers for sex workers: neither police nor government institutions protect the rights of sex workers • Penalties, which are imposed only on the sex workers, promotes the sexual exploitation of these women

  4. FACTS ABOUT THE SEX WORKERS • Officially there are 1000-3000 sex workers in the capitol of Lithuania Vilnius, but there is no information about the exact numbers of sex workers • The biggest group of sex workers consists of 21-25 y o women • There are 80 % of drug addicts among the sex workers and the most often used drug is heroin or other opiates • Off-the-record information states that the profit of sex facilities agencies in Vilnius is 5 million USA dollars per year

  5. MEDICAL SITUATION OF THE SEX WORKERS • In general medical protection of sex workers is very poor because of their very limited possibilities and stigma: medical personnel refuses to give them treatment; sex workers usually don’t have social insurance to get a free medical help and are afraid to lose their anonymity; they don’t have enough money to look to the contraception methods – these are the reasons why sex workers are at the very high risk of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV

  6. REASONS OF THE PROSTITUTION • Economical (to buy drugs, to feed children, to get the money for their own living) • Women traffic victims (in spite of the age, they all experience physical and psychological violence from their “owners”) • “Volunteer” sex workers who engage in this activity in order to get fun

  7. GROUPS OF SEX THE WORKERS • “Street” sex workers: there work a lot of women from foreign countries and intravenous drug addicts; the risk of sexually transmitted diseases in this group is very high • Sex workers, who work under the souteneurs’ “care” (in sex facilities agencies) • “Elite” sex workers who usually work in prestige hotels and whom is very difficult to identify

  8. RESULTS OF THE RESEARCH • There are three opinions of the sex workers: • Police: sex workers are “healthy young women” and they sell their bodies because they want to do this; • NGO, social workers: sex workers are human traffic victims; • Health system workers holds both positions. • Competence of the specialists who work with sex workers most often is not professional (they face this problem incidentally and the help is episodic)

  9. RESULTS OF THE RESEARCH • Most officials are not aware of the real situation of prostitution • There is a lack of communication between the organizations working in the field • There are almost no prevention work in the field • Situation of the sex workers is seen as inevitable, nobody sees the possibilities to solve existing problems • The society opinion of giving help to sex workers is quiet negative

  10. PROBLEMS WHICH RESEARCHES FACED WITH • There is no statistics of the sex workers; professionals even can’t find the ways in which sex workers can be counted • “Street” sex workers usually are drug addicts, so it is very difficult to communicate with them • Very useful resource of the information is ex-sex workers, but there are no organizations or mechanism which would support them

  11. PROBLEMS WHICH RESEARCHES FACED WITH • Officials who work in local governments don’t want to participate in the research because they don’t want to lose their anonymity • There is very little amount of specialists who work with the sex workers • It is very difficult to motivate sex workers to participate in the research

  12. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION

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