Apply to join ESWA as a Digital Rights Research Consultant

The European Sex Workers’ Rights Alliance is recruiting a digital rights research consultant to join our small team (remotely, in Europe and Central Asia) for a year (until December 2024).

The aim of this post is to undertake community research based on an in-depth literature review and consultation with ESWA members and sex workers on 2 digital rights-related topics:

1) Sex worker-centred platform: Research on sex workers’ rights affirming platform design and innovation. This research project will include a needs assessment of sex workers who use sex work advertisement platforms and seek technological and policy-oriented solutions for sex workers who advertise their services on sex work advertising platforms.

2) Platform accountability: Sex workers’ social media experiences and platform accountability: Research on sex workers’ social media experiences based on focus groups and in-depth qualitative interviews with sex workers and sex workers’ rights organisations. This research will then provide high-level recommendations for social media platforms to ensure better platform accountability and protect the rights of sex workers, such as the right to privacy, freedom of expression and right to self-organise.

The work requires a combination of strong research and writing skills as well as interpersonal skills. To plan and deliver on this work, the post holder will need to work closely with ESWA’s Digital Rights Programme Officer, Director of Programmes and Executive Director.

This post will support the work of ESWA in producing good quality, reliable and influential research through evidence-building, which will be used in ESWA and its members’ advocacy work to create positive change for the digital rights of sex workers in all their diversity.

We strongly encourage migrant, racialised, women and trans sex workers to apply for the post. ESWA is also committed to building a movement led by sex workers and will aim to build capacities of the post holder where necessary.

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: 

• Undertake in-depth desk research and utilise appropriate research methods.
• Conduct consultations among sex workers in ESWA membership with other key stakeholders, incorporating, where appropriate, these responses into the Briefing Papers.
• Develop two briefing papers of approx. 10,000 words (maximum) based on the information gathered from consultations and desk-based research.
• Work with the Digital Rights Programme Officer in finalising the Briefing Papers. Additional style guide information will be provided.
• Work with the Digital Rights Programme Officer to organise launch events for the Briefing Papers.
• Work with the Digital Rights Programme Officer to prepare conference session proposals and assist in presentations.
• Other Tasks assigned by the Digital Rights Programme Officer, Executive Director and Director of Programmes from time to time and reasonably falling within the scope of the post.

DELIVERABLES:

• The post holder will submit a work plan (with deadlines for the tasks listed above) for developing the Briefing Papers within one week of returning the signed Contract to the ESWA Secretariat.
• The post holder will submit a first draft of the Briefing Paper on the Sex work-centred Platform by 3rd May 2024 for review and comment by the Digital Rights Programme Officer.
• The post holder will submit the final draft of the Briefing Paper on the Sex work-centred Platform by 21st June 2024.
• The post holder will organise an online launch event open to the participation of allies and ESWA members, where the findings of the briefing paper will be presented and made available to the public.
• The postholder will submit the final draft of the second briefing paper on Sex workers’ social media experiences and platform accountability by the end of November 2024.
• The post holder will organise an online launch event for the second Briefing Paper, open to the participation of allies and ESWA members, where the findings of the briefing paper will be presented and made available to the public.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

1. Experience in desk research and be able to evidence strong research skills.
2. Knowledge of the sex workers’ rights movement and an understanding of practices, policies and legislation impacting sex workers in Europe and Central Asia.
3. An in-depth understanding of current digital rights issues that impact sex workers in Europe and Central Asia.
4. Experience in organising in-person and online events.
5. Knowledge and working experience with Microsoft Office, including Word and Excel.
6. Excellent written and oral communication skills, including communicating in plain English and producing written minutes, compelling presentations, and coherent reports.
7. Experience in and ability to develop, implement, monitor and prioritise work, solve emerging problems and manage own time and workload effectively to demanding deadlines and under pressure.
8. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills within multilingual environments, including communicating effectively face-to-face and via teleconferences, telephone and email.
9. Ability to recognise and develop professional and personal boundaries.
10. An ability to communicate in French, Spanish or Russian is desirable but not essential.

FEES:

ESWA team is composed of 7 members working remotely from various European countries. The post holder will be hired as a consultant and can work remotely from any European country. The consultancy fee is 2,000 euros/month for an average of approximately 2,5 days/week (20 hours/week). As a self-employed consultant, the postholder is required to cover their own social security contributions.

HOW TO APPLY:

Please download and fill in the application form if you are interested in this post. You can then send it to [email protected] ‘RECRUITMENT DIGITAL RIGHTS RESEARCH CONSULTANT’ in the subject line. 

The deadline to apply is January 15th, 2024.

Interviews will take place in the 3rd week of January 2024.