A first of its kind, the Women’s Refugee Commission developed this Guidance Note in partnership with the Organization for Gender Empowerment and Rights Advocacy (OGERA), to raise awareness and initiate a conversation about how we ensure the protection of and access to vital services for refugees engaged in sex work. A rights-based approach to working with this population calls for providing them with a range of information, services, and support options, while reducing the stigma and discrimination they encounter. The Guidance Note sets forth 14 practical steps for working with refugees engaged in sex work, for the purpose of: meeting their immediate health and protection needs; ensuring service provision respects their rights and dignity; ensuring services and programming are evidence-based; and strengthening individuals’ capacities to claim and exercise their rights.
