During the summer months, STAR-STAR published its Report titled A Ten-Year Report on the Programs, Activities and Finances of the Association for Support of Marginalized Workers STAR-STAR Skopje for the Period Between 2010 and 2020, which was promoted during the jubilee event A Decade of Sex Workers’ Raised Voices, Transparency and Accountability held at the end of May 2021.
This ten-year report encompasses all key achievements of the organization in its Mission, strategic areas of operation, the realization of its strategic orientation and goals, and it also features a chapter on finances in which all sources of finances of the Association are listed.
The Mission which governed STAR-STAR’s enthusiasm in the past ten years created and unbreakable bond between the voice of sex workers as a joint collective on the one hand, and the media, the public and the institutions, on the other hand. Building that bond is based on the vigorous advocacy for sex workers’ rights within the healthcare, social welfare and legal system in the country, simultaneously promoting our aspiration at an international level.
Back in 2010, sex workers were represented by third parties, however, ten years later the public had the opportunity to get to know STAR-STAR by its recognizable and traditional Red Umbrella March, which is a self-organized activity, advocating for our own rights and speaking for ourselves. Back in 2010, “prostitution” and “prostitutes” were terms utilized for daily sensationalist purposes in the media chronicles, however, ten years later; on December 17th the media uses the terms “sex work” and “sex workers” when they report on sex workers’ fight for better labor rights as a central news item in the evening news bulletins. Back in 2010, there were political attempts to “eradicate prostitution”, ten years later, in July 2020, STAR-STAR received a declarative political pledge to decriminalize sex work, which was supported by 8 political parties, including the most powerful political blocks. Back in 2010, STAR-STAR did not openly speak in front of high political representatives, but in 2018 together with partner organizations we sent a community representative in front of the high delegation at the Committee for Elimination of Violence Against Women (CEDAW) within the frames of the United Nations, who presented our partner Shadow Report on the Condition and Violation of Female Sex Workers’ Rights in our country during the 71st session. The voice of sex workers in Macedonia was heard in the United Nations, and the Government received recommendations by the Committee in terms of how to improve this condition. Back in 2010, the participation of sex workers in the process of creating and making healthcare and social welfare policies was unfathomable due to fear; ten years later, STAR-STAR is a member of working and evaluation bodies within state institutions and relevant United Nations agencies.
This Report summarizes the numerous achievements and also serves the purpose of a reminder for the donors and the general public of the progress and the development in our fight for sex workers’ rights, for which STAR-STAR has been advocating ever since its inception, and for which we will continue to fight tirelessly with our full capacity.
The electronic version of the Report can be read here.
The publication of the Report is supported by the Foundation Open Society – Macedonia.