How to work with law enforcement as a sex worker organisation

Advocates working in this context have encountered significant challenges in addressing the interactions between police officers and sex workers. Law enforcement agencies often view sex workers as criminals rather than individuals in need of protection, leading to widespread harassment, extortion, arbitrary arrests, and even physical and sexual violence. Many sex workers report being forced to pay bribes to avoid detention, while others are subjected to assault or sexual exploitation by police officers under the threat of imprisonment.

One of the biggest obstacles advocates face is the reluctance of sex workers to report cases of abuse, given the high risk of further victimization. When sex workers do seek justice, they are often dismissed, ridiculed, or even arrested instead of receiving protection or legal recourse. This creates a climate of impunity, where perpetrators can act without consequences. Additionally, deep-rooted societal stigma and moral judgments further complicate advocacy efforts, making it difficult to push for policy changes that recognize and protect the rights of sex workers. Advocates must navigate legal barriers, institutional resistance, and cultural prejudices, all of which hinder progress in securing justice, safety, and dignity for sex workers.

Sex worker organisations identified a number of strategies to successfully engage with law enforcement to assure the rights of sex workers:

• Sensitisation campaigns with law enforcement: Concerned Women International Development Initiative held a workshop with police on sex workers rights. The education of legal and human rights of sex workers and the importance of protecting them has proved fundamental, and these workshops create open spaces to discuss issues – with organisations reporting a mindset shift amongst officers who began to understand sex worker’s rights and how to treat them when they raise reports.
• Empowering Sex Workers and Building Trust: Whilst it has been fundamental to work with police officers, it has proved equally important in Nigeria to work with sex workers themselves to train them on how to identify report gender-based violence and to educate them on their rights – providing confidence in their ability to understand their rights. Bringing in law enforcement during these sessions creates familiarity between the two parties – building trust and confidence to report their cases for justice.
• Inviting Law Enforcement as Resource Persons on Public Platforms: Concerned Women International Development Initiative (CWIDI) held a series of radio programmes on the VAPP Act to raise public awareness on the rights of vulnerable populations, including sex workers. In one episode on protecting the rights of sex workers, a senior police officer served as a resource person, advocating for the rights and protection of these groups. Inviting police officers to speak on such platforms has helped build trust and confidence among sex workers and influenced other officers listening to adopt a more rights-based and protective approach towards vulnerable populations.
• Frequent Advocacy Visits and Storytelling: In Nigeria, routine advocacy visits to police and other justice agencies have been crucial in reinforcing accountability and building sustained relationships. Importantly, sex workers were actively involved in shaping these advocacy asks and participated directly in the visits. Sharing their personal stories during engagements often helped shift officers’ mindsets, challenging stigma and humanising their experiences.
•  Global Advocacy and Leadership: Empowering sex workers to take leadership roles in advocacy efforts has been a key global strategy to improve their relationships with law enforcement. The work that our grantee partners are doing in Ghana and Nigeria has proved necessary for improving the working relationship between police and sex workers.
• Creating Safe Spaces for Education and Advocacy: Whilst these films have been fundamental in giving sex workers a voice, the work of Women of Dignity Alliance (WODA) in Ghana would allow these women to speak up in the first place. WODA create spaces for sex workers to learn sexual education and gain support from other sex workers. It is here they learn about their rights, the difference between illegal and legal, and advocacy efforts in the community. By working with police officers in these sessions, it breaks down the stigma surrounding sex work and educates officers as well as sex workers.

The combined efforts of organisations to engage with law enforcement, empower sex workers, and challenge societal norms through education, frequent advocacy visits, shared training sessions, and storytelling have proven crucial in improving the rights and safety of sex workers globally. Inviting law enforcement officers as resource persons in public forums, such as radio programmes, also emerged as an effective strategy to promote dialogue, change perceptions, and build trust between police and vulnerable populations. These strategies provide a roadmap for addressing the issues sex workers face, highlighting the importance of fostering understanding, trust, and collaboration between all parties involved.

Build Trust and Safe Spaces: Establish safe reporting mechanisms and peer support networks to empower sex workers to speak out against abuse.

Engage Law Enforcement: Train and sensitize police officers on human rights and the need to protect, rather than criminalize, sex workers.

Involve Law Enforcement in Public Dialogue: Invite police officers as resource persons in community or media programmes to promote dialogue, demonstrate commitment to protection, and influence positive mindset change among other officers.

Document Violations: Collect evidence of police misconduct and violence to strengthen advocacy efforts and push for policy reforms.

Leverage the Media: Use storytelling and media campaigns to challenge harmful stereotypes and highlight the realities faced by sex workers.

Form Strategic Alliances: Collaborate with legal aid organizations, human rights groups, and policymakers to drive systemic change.

Know the Law : Educate sex workers on their rights and provide legal support to challenge unlawful arrests and abuse.

Building sustainable partnerships with law enforcement remains critical to protecting the rights of sex workers and other vulnerable populations. Beyond workshops and advocacy visits, creating platforms such as radio programmes where police officers and community members can jointly discuss protection and human rights issues helps to humanize sex workers, shift negative perceptions, and strengthen public trust. Continued collaboration and open dialogue are essential to ensuring that the police become allies in the fight against violence and discrimination rather than perpetrators of it.