Eight Working Papers/Case Studies Examining the Intersections of Sex Work Law, Policy, Rights, and Health

In June 2006, the Open Society Institute convened an international gathering in Johannesburg, South Africa, about the impact of laws, policies, and law enforcement practices on sex workers' health and human rights. Eight case studies were prepared as a tool to assist participants in understanding the legal regulation of sex work in a variety of settings.

The studies allowed participants to compare and contrast different frameworks and build advocacy strategies that heeded lessons learned from law reform actions to date. Each study was developed collaboratively involving input from a number of local and international advocates and represents a snapshot of some key issues in each local environment rather than a definitive statement of all trends and issues. Information about the experiences of male, female, and trans people is included, and input was sought to describe the experience of a diversity of sex workers such as street sex workers, indoor sex workers, migrants, and people who engage in more informal kinds of sex work.

The case studies describe the criminal laws surrounding sex work because they may be an important determinant of sex workers' experience. However, other types of law and regulation can have an equal or greater impact, both positive and negative. Information about the effects of public health regulations, zoning laws, immigration laws and social welfare laws has therefore been incorporated to provide the materials needed to evaluate different policy environments.