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Policies and Measures to Strengthen the Security of Sex Workers Position Paper of Action for REACH OUT (2008.4.25)

The personal safety of sex workers has always been the highest concern of Action for REACH OUT (AFRO). In 2007, AFRO conducted a "Survey on Occupation Safety of Female Sex Workers in Hong Kong" and 113 sex workers were interviewed. According to the research result, sex workers very often encounter problems like forceful sexual intercourse (25.7%), robbery (14.2%), threat (13.3%), violence (13.3%) or even life threat. However, 80% of the respondents chose not to call the police as they did not want to expose their sex worker identity.

Sex workers becoming the target of murder

Under the current law, it is not illegal for a sex worker to work in a "one-woman apartment". However, these "one-woman apartments" are of no protection nor support because of the discrimination in society. The low social status of sex workers leads to murders targeting them all around the world. In Hong Kong, murders committed by “prostitute killers” occur every year. These murders and robberies reveal the dangerous working environment of "one-woman apartments". However, because of financial difficulties, sex workers have no choice but to work despite these dangers.

Based on the aforementioned safety problems faced by sex workers, AFRO proposes two sets of suggestions concerning "law enforcement" and "legislation".

The followings are the possible measures proposed by AFRO to strengthen the security of sex workers... Click to view full text.