Action research with street-based sex workers

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Some years ago, during my trainee as a social worker, I worked in harm reduction with sex workers and people who inject drugs. I became sensitive to the lack of participation of sex workers in the design, implementation and evaluation of social and health services, in the academic research, and/or in the sociopolitical debate around policies. However, they are not voiceless.

As Lauren Martin noted, sex workers want to be heard and to take action to improve their and others lives. Inspired by a desire to conduct research with sex workers rather than on or about them (as also documented by Van der Meulen), and in an attempt to comply with a past commitment to the sex workers, I facilitated, for three years, a participatory action research with street-based female sex workers and an outreach team, in the city of Coimbra- Portugal.

With this article, I aim to explain how the action research process was developed and to offer a model of research and social practice with a highly stigmatized social category. Focusing on sex workers feelings, concerns and hopes as human beings, I hope to challenge prejudice and stigma; and to demystify stereotypical images and representations of sex work and its actors.

Walking this path, I found some roadblocks. Sex workers have the same concerns, but show little cohesion, which affects collective action. As such, what is needed for sex workers is to see each other as partners sharing a similar journey, dangers and dreams. I write about encouraging collective action that could strengthen their stance.

Dr. Castillo Burguete, Associate Editor, writes about this piece, “Certainly sex work is a very controversial topic, especially in social science discourse but it is necessary that we “walk the road” in seeking to understand sex workers, their daily life, other female sex workers’ seeing each other as potential competition or as partners sharing a similar journey, dangers and dreams. In this sense ‘Action research with street-based sex workers’ is a very helpful article to better know how an action research process developed. It can help us fill some research gaps on the theme, how to get nearer to the sex workers’ feelings, their concerns and hopes as human beings. Your manuscript offers a model of research and social practice with sex workers. Nobody who reads the document can stay unpersuaded about how challenging for all the participants to develop the research. This article helps to understand the situation, however in words of Authors’ ‘PAR activities may have provided a sense of control and awareness, but the transformation of subjectivity to collective action is still required’. How to add more light? You helped co-create a beautiful journey and the results are persuasive.”


We invite you to learn more about this experience by reading our article HERE.

After you’ve had a chance to read this piece, please share your thoughts, ideas, or experiences with our community in the comments below so we can continue this discussion!