Sex Worker and Empowerment Project (SWE Project)

 SEX WORKER AND EMPOWERMENT

Summary

In lately of 2023, SMART did a kind of data surveying activity into more than 80 young people,

mostly are between 17 years old to 25 years old, in Sex Worker industry. In this survey, when we

asking for their requirements to raise up their empowerment, in mostly 20 contents we found it

they need more vocational school to raise up their job opportunities, HIV/AIDS prevention

education, sex and protection law for them as their most requirements.

Therefore, Sex Worker Empowerment (SWE) project of SMART MYANMAR is aims to

provide Vocational Skill Training and giving a Life Skills, giving HIV/AIDS prevention training

to reduce the rate of transmission from new HIV/AIDS infections and supporting Life

Counseling for the narcotic drugs users to cutting out from narcotic for the women/ men and

youth who are involving in sex working industry for raising up their empowerment to figure out

the definite ambitious for them. In this project, there are targeting into 30 young people, its

women/ men and transgender who are working in sex industry. And there are also 5 young

people who are injection narcotic.

Challenging

Myanmar is like other developing countries, has many poor people and there are 28% of total

population are living below the poverty line. According to Work Bank Report, 2023, there is an

important sex worker project in Myanmar and its aim to improve the health of sex workers,

human right and empowerment. Sex workers are frequently facing with criminal case, a black

mark, discrimination and violence and also restricted to receiving health service and advocacy

for their empowerment opportunities. By this facts, its needed sex workers empowerment

projects to overcome these challenges. Therefore, this sex workers empowerment project is

going to concentrate and solving by basing on the supporting to rise up of the youths

empowerment who are involving in the men sex workers industry and prevention from

HIV/AIDS infection and prevention education awareness.

The Solution

• By the cooperation with the men who are involving in sex working industry andcolleagues within peer educators and local regional leaders.
• To establish short-term training center for their life skills and career education courses.
• To increase job opportunities after the training, job supporting service is as a part ofgiving training or it is the combination of supporting programs after training.
• Give an education for HIV/AIDS prevention to sex workers and intravenous drug usersby through peer education learners.
• By supporting with health facilities.

Long-terms impact

 Making income and career – Its can rise up sex workers income and career by the starting

with other replacement business to the people who are working in sex workers industry,

getting more awareness education to improve by themselves and to get less dangerous

Vocational skills by the developing of their future requirements.

 HIV/AIDS prevention education – (its can reduce the possibility of infections from HIV

and other sexually transmitted infections by giving an awareness education to the people

who are involving in sex workers industry, distribution Condoms and giving health

facilities.

 Self-esteem and Unity – its can rise up self-value of sex workers, resistance and unity.

SEX WORKER AND EMPOWERMENT

There are facing with so many challenging for the sex worker empowerment projects in

Myanmar. Sex workers are leaving aside and mostly are involving with youth. According to the

1949 Prostitution Suppression Act, sex workers are being committed from police harassment,

extortion and violence. They are being discriminated from the health care providers and also

limited to the quality of service and accessibility for the sex workers. Sex workers are still

remaining as the most possibility of HIV infections population within a region. Lack of fund and

acknowledgement for the organization which is leaded by sex workers are being obstruction

from their capacity building and advocacy efforts and also political instability and hum rights

violations are affecting the safety and well-being of sex workers and their communities. These

are some challenging facing in sex worker empowerment projects in Myanmar. It is needed for

sex worker and empowerment projects to overcome these challenging. To turning back this

situation, our sex worker empowerment project will require the united enthusiasm of donors.