March 3rd, The International Sex Workers’ Rights Day – The day’s history goes back to 2001 when over 25,000 sex workers gathered in India for a Sex Work festival. Sex worker groups, activists and supporters across the world have subsequently celebrated 3 March as International Sex Workers’ Rights Day.
Sex workers are a socially excluded and every day they face stigma and discrimination by the police, institutions and society. In the Republic of North Macedonia, sex workers live and work in unsafe conditions. They are in constant fear of harassment, violence, and abuse. There is no national legal regulation of sex work, and as a result of this, the fundamental rights of sex workers are limited, as well as their freedom to live and work as people equal with everyone else in society.
The common universal value system is dedicated to the holiness of life and provides a framework for building a human rights system, protected by internationally accepted norms and standards. During the 20th century, human rights have developed in a moral, political and legal framework and became the leading direction for the development of a world free from fear and deprivation. Sex workers around the world celebrate this day, raising their voice out loud for their human rights!
This year, STAR – The first sex workers collective in the Balkans joins the global celebration of the International Sex Workers’ Rights Day with concrete actions, emphasizing the importance and the need for promotion of sex workers human rights. With equal and dignified rights for all, the world would be a nice place to live!