SWAN, in partnership with ICRSE, organised a regional convening on movement building and community mobilisation under the RCF SWIT program between 8-10 October 2019 in Budapest, Hungary.
Participants from Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia and Georgia, countries that implement the Sex Worker Implementation Tool (SWIT), gathered in Budapest.
First day discussions focused on the 3-year progress of the RCF program, its goals and objectives. Each country made presentations regarding overviews of their 2016-2019 activities, challenges/achievements and gave information on the next steps of their programme.
Second and third day were dedicated to experience sharing and discussions around movement building, intersection with other communities and key populations, strategies around how to overcome main challenges, specifically about mobilising sex worker communities in the CEECA region.
International Committee on the Rights of Sex Workers in Europe (ICRSE) shared examples and experiences of good practices from the region.
Lilla Milikj (STAR-STAR, North Macedonia) said:
“From this meeting I return to my country with more experience on how sex workers are dealing with problems in their own country. We had possibility to share our experiences in mobilising sex work community that can be put in practice in some of the countries in the region.”