Freedom Network USA (FNUSA) and the National Survivor Network (NSN) are excited to share a new set of guidelines, “Re-Centering Sex Worker Safety in Anti-Trafficking Work: Perspectives from the Field.” These guidelines were created to help anti-trafficking organizations reduce the harm that anti-trafficking efforts cause to those in the sex trades and work more collaboratively with sex worker safety advocates.
The guidelines are the product of over a year of collaborative work. The process began with a groundbreaking convening between FNUSA members and leading sex worker safety advocates from across the country. During this meeting, sex worker safety advocates shared how they have been impacted by anti-trafficking efforts and the shifts they would like to see in how organizations deliver services, conduct outreach, manage partnerships, advocate, and secure funding. FNUSA members then applied this information to their day-to-day their daily work with human trafficking survivors.
We are extremely proud of how many voices came together to make this possible. In addition to the initial convening, the National Survivor Network (NSN) brought in two member consultants who identify as both human trafficking survivors and sex workers to work alongside the group during the drafting stage. The final draft was reviewed by two sex worker safety advocates who participated in the initial convening.
It is undeniable that the anti-trafficking movement has hurt individuals in the sex trades, some of whom are human trafficking survivors. We know that many organizations may not understand this impact or know how to move their work forward in community with sex worker safety advocates. We hope that the anti-trafficking field utilizes this resource as a guide for their work, and we are grateful to our incredible collaborators on this project!