Thread by @NevilleSouthall

Hi, this is the Sex Workers Alliance Ireland (SWAI)! Thank you to Neville for letting us take over his account for 1 hour for International Women’s Day #IWD2021. We are a sex worker-led organisation that advocates for the rights of sex workers in Ireland @SWAIIreland

International Women’s Day celebrates all working women and because sex work is work, sex workers are included in this celebration! @SWAIIreland #IWD2021

We are speaking at 2 events today to mark #IWD2021. At 6:30pm we are speaking at the @freesafelegal Trans Bodily Autonomy event

https://twitter.com/freesafelegal/status/1367813057431412736

@SWAIIreland

At 7:30 we will speak at the @pb4p Women on the frontlines public meeting

https://twitter.com/pb4p/status/1368698707571585030

@SWAIIreland

The feminisation of poverty means that the majority (but not all) of sex workers are women, and this includes trans women. Overwhelmingly sex workers are single mothers and in Ireland most sex workers are migrants #IWD2021 @SWAIIreland

SWAI operates under a harm reduction model and we know that most sex workers didn’t qualify for COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) when the pandemic hit. This meant that many sex workers were unable to give up work for the past year. @SWAIIreland

Demand for sex work didn’t disappear during COVID but it did greatly reduce and there were little to no resources that sex workers could access. We stepped in to create some guidelines for safer sex worker during this time. @SWAIIreland

Our resources for sex workers during COVID include harm reduction guidelines for sex workers and clients here #IWD2021 sexworkersallianceireland.org/2020/03/harm-r… @SWAIIreland

We also created street sex work-specific guidelines here along with @GOSHHirl and @SHC_Cork sexworkersallianceireland.org/2021/01/outdoo… @SWAIIreland

Currently, it is legal to sell sex in Ireland but not legal to buy it. This legal system is more commonly known as the Nordic Model or the End Demand model. This law also increased penalties for workers working together for safety, known as brothel-keeping. @SWAIIreland

Ireland has recently rebranded the police unit which deals with sex work. This new unit will not keep us safe when Gardai are still tasked with enforcing the letter of the law. We welcome increased communications to SWAI, but it is the law that needs to change. @SWAIIreland

Since this law was introduced in 2017 there has been a 92% increase in violence against sex workers. There have been a handful of clients prosecuted but many more workers for working together. @SWAIIreland

Sex workers exist on the sharp end of misogyny, racism, transphobia and other forms of marginalisation. Sex workers must work alone to work legally which increases our vulnerability. @SWAIIreland #IWD2021

On #IWD2021 can Ireland really stand over a law that makes us less safe and less likely to report crime against us? A law that pushes already marginalised people into the shadows and that specifically targets young, migrant sex workers? @SWAIIreland

Sex workers need to be high on the list for the vaccine roll-out. You may not consider us essential workers but it is essential that we work to survive, just like everyone else. @SWAIIreland

Unfortunately in Ireland, the dominant narrative speaks about all sex work being gender-based violence and many organisations including feminist organisation are not welcoming of sex workers voices. We are also excluded in conversations about consent @SWAIIreland

Sex workers need to be listened to about the reality of our lives. We do not need to be spoken for. On International Women’s Day, we want to celebrate the vibrant global sex worker community @SWAIIreland

We are turning the tide and helping people understand that sex work is work, and sex workers are workers in need of labour rights. Thanks again to Neville for giving us his platform and continually raising the voices of sex workers and other marginalised people @SWAIIreland

We're signing off now, thank you for listening to us and happy #IWD2021