For Immediate Release
Feb. 24, 2017
St. John’s, NL
Sex Workers Speak Out: The voices of sex workers displayed at City Hall
Safe Harbour Outreach Project (SHOP) and the City of St. John’s have collaborated to host a unique advocacy display, titled “Sex Workers Speak Out: Coast to Coast Perspectives About Canada’s Harmful Laws” in honour of International Sex Workers Rights Day, which takes place on March 3rd each year.
Showcasing the voices and writing of people who engage in sex work from across Canada, including sex workers in St. John’s, the display will be hung in The Great Hall within City Hall for the week of February 27th to March 3rd, 2017 and is open to the public. Stories from sex workers of various identities, ages and experiences highlight the harmful impact Canada’s prostitution laws are having on sex workers’ day to day lives in ongoing stigma, barriers to basic human rights, and pushing the people who do this work underground.
In culmination of the week-long display, a reception will take place in The Great Hall on Friday, March 3, beginning at 6:00p.m., to coincide with the annual International Sex Workers Rights Day. City officials and SHOP representatives will be speaking at the reception, recognizing that sex workers are a part of St. John’s, are valuable members of our community, and sex workers rights are human rights that should be upheld. The reception is free, physically accessible and open to the public, and will have light refreshments.
About SHOP The Safe Harbour Outreach Project (SHOP) is an initiative of the St. John’s Status of Women Council/Women’s Centre. SHOP advocates for the human rights of sex workers and provides support to over 150 sex workers in the St. John’s area.
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Media Contact
Heather Jarvis
SHOP Program Coordinator
heather@sjwomenscentre.ca
709.771.1077
