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International Sex Workers Day (ISWD): Know about the history and significance of the International Sex Workers Day which is observed on 2nd June annually.
International Sex Workers Day:
Every year on June 2 ISWD is observed.The day honours and recognises the exploited working conditions of sex workers. It aims to encourage people to respect individuals irrespective of their profession.
According to the Global Network of Sex Projects (NSWP), the theme for ISWD 2023 is the same as every previous year, “Access to Justice“. This way the organisation aims collective efforts to ensure rights and justice for all sex workers.
Theme:
- 2024: –
- 2023: Access to Justice
History:
Approximately 100 sex workers on 2nd June, 1975 collected at Saint-Nizier Church in Lyon, France, to express their anger regarding their criminalised and exploitative living conditions.
There they hung a banner from the Steeple which reads ‘Our children don’t want their mothers to go to jail’, and also launched a media campaign to precise their grievances across the world.
Do you know that this action made national and international news headlines, strikes followed all over France by the sex workers, and created a legacy of activism that is observed annually on International Sex Workers’ Day?
Sex workers that are occupied at Saint-Nizier Church demanded several things including an end to police harassment, re-opening of the hotels where they worked, and a proper investigation into a series of sex worker murders. Across the country, French sex workers joined the action by participating in an eight-day-long strike.
In spite of the national impact of the protest, the police refused to occupy with the grievances of the protestors and threatened increasingly harsh punishments. After eight days, eventually, the police cleared the Church and the occupation and strike did not result in any law reform but the sex workers considered it as a spark that ignited their rights movement in Europe and the UK.
Therefore, on 2nd June, every year, NSWP focuses on the theme of Access to Justice when commemorating International Sex Workers Day.
Let us tell you that ISWD is also observed on 3rd March and the history goes back to 2001. At that time around 25,000 sex workers gathered in India for a festival in spite of the efforts from prohibitionist groups who tried to avert it taking place by putting pressure on the government to revoke their permit.
Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee organised this event and is a Calcutta-based group that has over 50,000 sex worker members and members of their communities. Therefore, sex worker groups across the globe celebrate 3rd March as International Sex Workers’ Rights Day annually.
Why Do We Celebrate?
International Whores Day is celebrated to support sex workers in their demand for better working conditions. Sex work is everywhere yet it remains one of the biggest unregulated and unrecognized areas of work. Here is why ISWD is significant for sex workers around the world.
- This day gives sex workers visibility and the opportunity to amplify their demands.
- International Whores Day gives sex workers a global platform to highlight the injustice and bias they are put through regularly.
- This day is also an attempt towards de-stigmatizing sex work and raising awareness about it as one of the most prevalent professions in the world.
International Sex Workers Day Wishes:
- Bring everyone together; collectively, the voice can support the women hiding behind the visage of a
helpless, hard-working Sex worker. - People do not comprehend the compulsion that drives the work of prostitutes. In quest of shelter and
sustenance, the Sex workers discard their dignity. They deserve to be rescued from exploitation and
elevated. - Raise awareness for the prostitutes who are women; if you respect women, why would you turn away
from Sex workers? - When you hear about a Sex worker in public, do not lower your heads; they deserve equality and have
the right to travel freely. - Those escorting the Sex workers are individuals from our own population. Why should only Sex workers
be exploited when everyone deserves to be treated with dignity? - Raise your voice for prostitutes who perform Sex labor on their knees and are still mistreated!
- Prostitutes work for pay, but not for mistreatment and exploitation. They do not request favors; rather,
they demand an end to exploitation. - No human being merits mistreatment or exploitation. International Whore’s Day is a day to speak out
against the exploitation of Sex workers. Prostitutes do not provide maltreatment. - Treat a prostitute with dignity and reverence. Donate if possible to the Sex workers and assist in
improving their living conditions. - There is no downside to speaking publicly to improve the living conditions of Sex workers. As human
beings, it is our responsibility to speak out against injustice and advocate for the women who struggle
every day to survive. - If you can’t disseminate love, don’t waste your hatred on the whores and Sex workers who fight every
day for equality and a sense of pride in living in this cruel, hypocritical world
Messages:
- On the eve of International Women’s Day, join your hands and rise up against the exploitation and poor living
conditions of sex’ workers and their families. - Happy International Whores Day to all the shy Sex’workers! You are just like us.
- Today is International Whores’ Day, and it’s a big day to help Sex’ workers live a decent life by assisting and
supporting them. - Whores only work for money, not for maltreatment and exploitation. They are entitled to equality, and they
have the freedom to roam freely. - Spread the message of respecting sex’ workers and speaking out against violence and injustice on
International Sex’ Workers’ Day
International Sex Workers Day Quotes:
- Wishing International Women’s Day to all the Sex’ workers and celebrating, commemorating, and raising
voices for Sex’ workers - “He said, ‘They’re only whores,’ as though their very availability rendered them worthless.” ~ Ellen Kushner
- “Some would say a whore doesn’t have any expectation of heaven.” I’d say if she gives value for cash, she’s
got a better shot at God’s blessing than your average banker.” ~ Elizabeth Bear - Sex’s work is also work, and whores are human beings who work, treat them with equality and respect, and
spread awareness. - “People should realize women aren’t whores or virgins. I want to see women who are real human beings.” ~
Kate Beckinsale
FAQs
When is International Sex Workers Day celebrated?
ISWD is celebrated on June 2 every year. The purpose of this day is to highlight the demands of sex workers for better working conditions. ISWD was first celebrated on June 2, 1976, in Lyon, France.
What is the theme of International Sex Workers Day 2023?
ISWD 2023 theme is “Access to Justice”. Sex workers face stigma and bias because of their profession and are often denied justice. The theme of ISWD remains constant every year to emphasize the need to demand justice for sex workers.
Why do we celebrate ISWD?
We celebrate ISWD to give sex workers the recognition that they deserve. Sex work is one of the world’s oldest professions and sex workers deserve rights as all other workers do. International Sex Workers Day also demands better working conditions for all sex workers.
When was International Sex Workers Day first celebrated?
International Sex Workers Day was first celebrated on June 2, 1976. This day commemorates the historic occupation of Église Saint-Nizier in Lyon by sex workers on the same day a year ago. To mark this occasion, June 2 is celebrated as International Whores Day annually.
How to celebrate?
ISWD is celebrated in many different ways, some of which are as follows.
- Join a local protest as an ally to sex workers to demand better rights and better working conditions for them.
- Participate in social media campaigns that spread the message of International Sex Workers Day.
- Support sex workers by raising awareness about recognizing their profession.
Where is International Sex Workers Day celebrated?
ISWD originated in France in 1975. However, it slowly gained traction in other parts of the world. After France, Germany, and Spain were one of the first countries to celebrate International Whores Day. Today, it is celebrated in many more countries like the US, India etc.
