Time to end human rights violation and ensure the social protection for sex workers in Laos

The Association for the Development and Promotion of Women’s Leadership (ADPWL), a community-based national organization conducted a 3-day workshop in Vientiane, on human rights, social protection, and sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR) with sex workers. During the workshop the facilitators and sex workers participants discussed the human rights framework and social protection issues for sex workers as well. ADPWL plans on researching the same issues, so they presented their survey methodology and how to conduct community-led research on social protection and SRHR issues.

During the workshop, the sex workers participants mentioned that human rights violation is verycommon among sex workers in Laos. They pointed out that violence against sex workers is very high with stigma and discrimination remaining strong at all levels of society. SRHR services are very important for sex workers but none of the NGOs are providing SRHR services. To obtain SRHR services sex workersare dependent on the private health service providers which comes with a high price. All the participants mentioned that they need SRHR services urgently and also ensure the human rights of sex workers.