Despite their presence, sex workers in Ireland remain largely invisible, facing severe stigma, structural violence, harassment, and assault. They are further marginalized by a government that refuses meaningful engagement and by laws that endanger their safety.
Since 2017, the criminalization of paying for sexual services, coupled with increased fines and jail sentences for "brothel keeping" (defined as two or more sex workers sharing a space), has forced sex workers into isolation. To work legally, they must prioritize client safety over their own, pushing sex work further underground and away from vital support services, thus increasing their vulnerability to exploitation. Consequently, less than 1% of sex workers report crimes to the Gardaí, compared to 90% of the general population.
These laws have demonstrably failed. Despite initial claims, prosecutions for purchasing sex remain minimal. Gardaí routinely conduct intrusive "welfare checks" by posing as clients, and the use of condoms as evidence of sex work actively undermines HIV prevention strategies. These practices have eroded trust in the Gardaí and have not reduced trafficking, exploitation, or violence against sex workers.
The mandated three-year review of these laws, originally due in 2020, has been marred by delays and controversy, including the removal of the initial reviewer and the involvement of three different Ministers for Justice. The Department of Justice, which implemented the laws, will now finalize the review, raising serious ethical concerns about impartiality.
Throughout this process, the Sex Workers Alliance Ireland (SWAI), a key stakeholder, has been consistently excluded. Sex workers were also excluded from the 2019 LGBTI Inclusion Strategy, despite a significant portion of the sex work population being queer.
Sex work is fundamentally an economic activity driven by financial necessity, often engaged in by those already marginalized, including LGBTQ+ individuals, the homeless, those in precarious housing, drug users, single parents, those needing mental health support, undocumented migrants, and those living in poverty. These individuals require structural reform and resources, not the criminalization of their livelihoods.
SWAI's funding is critically low and projected to run out in the first half of this year. There are concerns that the review will be deliberately delayed until SWAI is unable to respond, effectively silencing the voices of sex workers in Ireland. Without SWAI's support, sex workers will lack the vital platform to advocate for their rights and needs.
Globally, sex worker-led organizations face significant funding challenges, and SWAI is no exception. Funding for core work is hindered by perceptions of radicalism due to critiques of the Nordic Model, government policies, and policing practices. SWAI rejects the conflation of sex work with human trafficking and gender-based violence, a stance that challenges certain feminist organizations and their perpetuation of injustices against sex workers.
We need your support. We launched a crowdfund called 28 Days for SWAI in February to try and keep our doors open. We are keeping this crowdfund open for a few weeks as we have not hit our target yet, you can donate here: 28-days-for-swai.causevox.com.