17 Dec 17-th December – International Day to End Violence against Sex Workers
Today, on occasion of 17-th of December, International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers, on the Macedonia street in Skopje, Republic of Macedonia, a March of the Red Umbrellas as a global symbol of sex work was organized by the organization STAR.
Sex workers, stripers, human rights activists and supporters, marched through the streets with red umbrellas and demanded to end the violence and the abuse of sex workers, including the respecting of their basic rights and freedom.
This event also has the goal to turn the attention to the criminal acts which are committed against sex workers. The sex workers are completely unprotected, victims of everyday violence, beaten and robbed, and discouraged to report the crimes fearing that they will be arrested.
Today, on the Macedonia, street, the sex workers and their supporters asked for the support from the ones they need it the most, they asked that their work rights be put on the agenda of the policy makers and decriminalization of sex work. This is the only way in which they will be encouraged to report the violence and to jointly help the institutions to catch and punish the offenders. Only this cooperation will help in the realization of the ideal of all of the citizens of theRepublicofMacedonia, and that is a WORLD without Violence.