Program for support of sex workers - MARIJA

Program for support of sex workers (SW) - MARIJA was launched at January 2000 with goal to target commercial street sex workers and their families in Skopje.
During the implementation the program targeted around 250 sex workers (working on street, in roma communities, close settings like hotels and privet apartments) developed outreach activities for promoting and supporting safer behavior on individual and local level, and according to realized needs developed social, health and legal services which also work on improving the accessibility and communication of relevant health, social and legal institutions and organizations.
All services offered are anonymous and free of charge.

Main goal of the program:

Promotion and improvement of the rights of sex workers and their families in Macedonia in order to improve their health, social and economic status by providing services, strengthening the community, increasing the capacity of professionals, research, advocating and lobbying.

Objectives and activities

1. Developing outreach activities for HIV/AIDS and STI prevention among SWs.
- printed and oral information on safe sex and safer behavior (HIV/AIDS and STI prevention, proper condom use, contraception, safe injection etc);
- distribution of free condoms and lubricants;
- distribution of clean injecting equipment for SW that also inject drugs;
- printed and oral information on safe injecting and harmful consequences of drug use;
- exploring the area, make connection with the local community and make new contacts with hidden and hard to reach population;

2. Developing outreach activities for HIV/AIDS and STI prevention among clients of SWs:
- distribution of free condoms;
- distribution of printed materials on safe sex and safer behavior (proper condom use, HIV/AIDS, STIs, testing);
- voluntary and confidential counseling and testing on HIV on outreach;

3. Developing services for social assistance and counseling:
- helping with procedures for getting an IDs (information and financial help from fund for documents);
- information and consultations for getting social welfare;
- information and consultation for getting health insurance;
- contacts with relevant institutions in the clients name, mediating, accompanying the clients in relevant institutions and helping with procedures;
- psycho-social support;
- visiting the clients in their homes, contacts with family etc;
- working with children of sex workers (illiteracy, helping with homework, strengthening of social and personal skills);

4. Developing services for medical help and counseling:
- organizing educative workshops on sexual and reproductive health, contraception, HIV/AIDS, STI. Such workshops are organized once a week, each week on different topic.
- free gynecological controls and PAP smears and contraception for SW that don’t have health insurance. These services are offered in a private gynecological ambulance by specialist in gynecology. For offering free STI testing, therapy and contraception HOPS collaborate with youth friendly clinics “I want to know”.
- treating wounds of long-term and impropriate injection, counseling, motivation and referrals to drug-dependence treatment for SW that also use drugs. This services are offered in care room by specially trained staff within the Harm reduction program within HOPS;
- voluntary and confidential counseling and testing for HIV;

5. Developing services for legal help and counseling:
- legal advises in the field of human, civil, administrative, criminal, felon, family, health, social, real estate property law etc;
- assistance trough different legal procedures;
- raising awareness on human rights, the mechanisms and institutions for protection in cases when are violated;
- documenting and monitoring human rights violations;

6. Fallowing the trends related to sex work in Macedonia, implementing quantitative and qualitative researches considering the topic, advocacy and lobbing;

7. Education of students from Institute for Social work and policy at the University “St. Kiril and Metodi” in Skopje:
- field work with hard to reach population;
- developing services in local community,
- the role of the social worker in an NGO;

8. Services within drop in centre for sex workers:
- toilets;
- shower;
- laundry;
- free meals;
- beauty workshops (hairstyle, makeup, manicure, pedicure);
- pier sessions and educational workshops;
- group social work;
- other group activities;
- services from social work and legal adviser;

Funds and donators

During the period 2000-2003, the activities of the project were realized with financial support from OSI Macedonia.
In 2003 – 2004 the services were also supported from PSI Romania.
Since 1st November 2004, in cooperation with Ministry of health, whole program has been covered by Global Fund for fighting HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.
For different activities, like human rights promotion, raising awareness on human trafficking and empowerment of sex work community the program had also received support from IOM Macedonia, OSCE Macedonia and X-Y Solidarity Fund Holland.
Trough program for support of SWs, HOPS actively participate in regional Sex Work Advocacy Network (SWAN), together with other 15 organizations from East Europe and Central Asia (www.swannet.org) and European International Committee for Rights of Sex Workers in Europe (ICRSE, www.sexworkeurope.org).
At national level, the program collaborate with different NGOs in different informal networks and coalitions out of which at the moment the most active is Coalition for promotion and protection of health and sexual rights of sex workers and LGBT/MSM populations in Macedonia.

Misc

SWAN + Newsletters

Declaration on the rights of the sexual workers - Europe Sex Work

Manifest of sexual workers in Europe

The Warsaw Statement from Sex Worker Health and Rights Advocates

HOPS Daily Centre for Women is SUPPORTED by: