For a right to have rights! Street-based female sex workers’ claims in Portugal

Abstract

Sex workers (SWs) based in Portugal are not (yet) organized in a trade union or as a social movement. However, they are not voiceless. This study aims to identify the needs of nineteen street-based female SWs, considering the rights they advocated. Data were gathered during participatory action research and were collected through informal interviews, in-depth semi-structured interviews and group discussions. We identified three major categories of rights: the right to work, to be protected by the law and to be free from violence. We also identified barriers they encountered in the process of being heard, including stigma. These findings suggest that they have opinions and the will to make a difference, but they claim from an individual standpoint. Some recommendations to social work practice, such as right-based and relationship-based approaches, and research with SWs are suggested to promote human rights and SWs’ participation in the public sphere.