The European Sex Workers Rights Alliance (ESWA) is conducting new research on sex workers’ experience of justice, and access to justice, in Europe and Central Asia, to ensure that sex workers can acccess justice and state protection from violence and exploitation. The research will be published in winter 2023.
To produce this research, we have limited funding available for our members to take part in the project, and carry out peer interviews in their national context with sex workers about their experiences of policing, using a FPAR methodology (Feminist Participatory Action Research).
ESWA aims to collect evidence that will demonstrate the issues that make it difficult for sex workers to access justice. The project will focus on policing, and the police’s role in sex workers’ access to justice. For many sex workers and other marginalised communities, police can be an obstacle to access to justice, when they are not direct perpetrators of violence against sex workers. To create this research, we will ask member organisations to conduct interviews with sex workers at their national level.
The deadline to apply for funding is 10th April 2022, 18:00 CET. Completed applications should be sent to [email protected], with the subject line ‘FPAR Funding Application’. For more information on the project and how to apply, see our FPAR Call Sheet.
Why should you apply?
- Through interviews with sex workers at national level, you will expand your own organisations’ network/ strengthen your existing networks
- This project is an opportunity to contribute to evidence that will shape the future of sex workers’ experience of policing and justice
- You will receive allocated funding in order to complete the project
- You are the experts! This project is an opportunity for us to show, at a European level, what is happening on the ground, and what needs to be done for sex workers to be protected.
- You will be directly involved in the shape and results of this sex worker-led research. At every stage of the research, you will be consulted - your opinions and experience will shape the research project
- You’ll learn/advance existing skills in data collection, including how to interview sex workers around complex and sensitive issues, and how to identify potential participants
- You will learn/advance existing skills in ethical issues, including confidentiality and participant safety
- You will learn/advance existing skills in different data collection methods
Eligibility and how to apply
The deadline to apply for funding is 10th April 2022, 18:00 CET. Completed applications should be sent to [email protected], with the subject line ‘FPAR Funding Application’.
To be able to participate in this project, your organisation needs to:
- Be a member of ESWA*
- Be able to carry out the project, and have the ability to attend/ complete all elements involved
- Have at least two English-speaking members in your organisation. Unfortunately we don’t have the capacity to translate the whole research project into other languages, but the final report will be available in Russian, Spanish, French, and English
- Meaningfully include sex workers. If your organisation is not led by sex workers, sex workers will need to be directly involved in the project. Sex workers must be hired to conduct the interviews, coordinate the project, and benefit from the project’s capacity building (training, skills development, etc.)
* If your organisation is not a member of ESWA, click here to join.
What is Feminist Participatory Action Research?
FPAR stands for Feminist Participatory Action Research, and is the methodology ESWA will be using to ensure that our research is sex worker-led and informed by the lived realities of our members. ESWA’s FPAR methodology will be produced and led by our sex working members. Sex workers will be at the forefront of every stage of this research; from its inception, execution and analysis, to its publication, translation and dissemination.
What is Access to Justice?
Access to justice is an umbrella term that represents several interconnected human rights. Fundamentally, access to justice is about the ability of individuals and groups to protect their rights, through two main components; the right to a fair trial, and the right to effective remedy. For many sex workers and other marginalised communities, police can also be an obstacle to access to justice, when they are not direct perpetrators of violence against sex workers.
If you’re interested in reading more about our project, please see our FPAR Information Sheet.
To apply for funding:
- Read through the following document: FPAR Call for sub-grantees!
- Complete the following application form.
- Download and complete the budget template. More information on how to complete this template is in the 'Call for sub-grantees' document.
- Send your completed Budget Template to [email protected] with the subject line ‘FPAR Funding Application’
Application deadline is 10th April 2022, 18:00 CET.
Once we have received all of the applications, the ESWA selection committee will evaluate and decide on a final number of grantees. The organisations will be chosen based on funding availability and on geographical representation.
If you need further information or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact [email protected].
Looking forward to working with you!
