Sex Workers in Mexico: In Defense of Their Corners with Dignity Clayton Conn - CIP Americas
go to original May 15, 2014

For the ninth year in a row sex workers in Mexico City marched on May 1 (International Worker’s Day) through the historic center of the city, demanding an end to harassment and celebrating their accomplishment to obtain a level of legal recognition of their work. Roughly 200 masked (protecting their identities from reprisals) sex workers, allies, and activists marched to the city’s Zocalo square, passing the Merced market, one of the areas of their work.

This past year sex workers’ organizations  in Mexico City filed legal injunction 112/2013 which prompted the Federal Judiciary to oblige the government of  Mexico City  to legally recognize sex work as unpaid labor. For activists and sex workers, this decision is considered an “unprecedented victory”.

Elvira Madrid, one of the spokespeople of the sex worker’s organization, Brigada Callejera, explained that their victory was not come from a legal decision made from above, but rather “this recognition came from a struggle that was won.”

Another sex worker who declined to share her identity, explained that this victory also represents greater visibility and potentially more respect from society in general. “This is important so that the people know that we exist as workers. Often the government tries to hide and marginalize us, but with this the people can see that we are workers that have rights that need to be protected.”

Although the injunction represents a legal victory, sex workers and their allies say that there is still a very long road ahead to fulfill justice and to break the stigmas that surrounded their lives. Many denounce that although they have a certain degree of legal backing, local authorities and police continue to abuse their rights, through discrimination, extortion, criminalization, harassment and even violence.

Another unidentified sex worker explains that “this injunction should demonstrate to the police that their corruption needs to end, however it continues, they rob us and our clients of money, they cheat us, but we fight and know how to struggle and defend ourselves.”

See the original and view photos at CIP Americas

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