- Since the introduction of confinement in France on March 17, most sex workers can no longer exercise their profession.
- In an open letter to the head of state, several associations call for the creation of an "emergency fund" to help sex workers.
- Deprived of income, a large majority of them find themselves destitute.
Already particularly precarious before the start of confinement linked to the coronavirus epidemic, sex workers - the majority of whom are women - find themselves plunged into a crisis, with a more than uncertain outcome. The impossibility of exercising their profession freely and the shortage of clients deprives them of all sources of income. For them, no technical unemployment, almost no access to state aid for self-employed people. More than an option: turn to community sex worker associations. Priced sex is however very legal under the 2016 law, it is customers who risk a fine.
Monday, April 6, the Federation of Red Umbrellas, grouping several associations of sex workers, called for the creation of an "emergency fund" in an open letter to Emmanuel Macron. In it, the associations worry that "in the short term, the poorest find themselves forced to brave the confinement, not of gaiety of heart, but lack of means of subsistence because it is a question of surviving".
For the moment, only Marlène Schiappa, secretary of state for equality between women and men, reacts declaring that it was “very complicated for the state to compensate a person who carries out an undeclared activity such than prostitution. " Amar, secretary general of the Sex Work Union (Rhinestone) and sex worker reports this unprecedented situation for 20 Minutes .
What emergency measures are you asking for from the government?
Following the observation that we share with the community associations co-signatories of the open letter, we asked to set up an emergency fund for sex workers (TDS), in extreme situations. There are three priorities for us. The basic point is first of all material aid to support the necessities of everyday life, such as food or aid to pay the rent. Then, we made housing a priority after all the feedback we had, according to which many TDS find themselves on the street.
Since community associations are on the front line to combat the phenomenon of the precariousness of TDS, it is necessary to release aid to them in order to be able to distribute prevention kits, among others. As an underlying claim, we call for an end to the stigma of TDS and the criminalization of the profession. Since the start of confinement, many of them have been fined when they go to work.
Since the start of confinement, in what extreme situations can sex workers find themselves?
Above all, there were returns from people who had run out of food, immediately after the containment began. As I told you, there are people who are unable to pay their rent. Even if everyone suspects that they are TDS, they find themselves in situations where without immediate income they must explain that they are not salaried and that they will have no more money. This pushes them to go outings and ultimately end up on the street.
The situation of TDS working in hotels is also alarming. Because the hotels closed, because they could no longer pay them, because we learned their profession they were ultimately evicted.
There have also been reports of trans and migrant TDS, which are the most exposed. There is this threat of being checked by the police and of being expelled from the territory for migrant women [ Editor's note: during checks on derogatory displacement certificates ]. Again we end up with people who are on the street, with no income and in deplorable sanitary conditions. No masks, no gloves, no hydroalcoholic gel, they have no access to care.
Who can TDS turn to in an emergency today?
It is better to contact community associations directly, depending on where you live. Faced with this housing problem, which does not only concern the TDS but women in general, the emergency housing services are overwhelmed so it is very difficult to have a place. Community associations will take charge of solidarity housing among others and will turn to associations able to refer people in emergency.
Today, we are completely overwhelmed, which is why we wrote this letter. We see that we are exhausting our forces on the ground, we see that the associations are doing everything possible to be able to deal with emergency situations but I do not know how long we will last . The associations are very well organized, we will hold on as best we can but we need help.
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