The Reduction of Visible Spaces of Sex Work in Europe

INTRODUCTION: Visible spaces of sex work are controversial and contested spaces. This paper explores the relationship between the legal framing of sex work and local policy and how this impacts upon the health and safety of sex workers who use those spaces. METHODS: This paper is based on data collected from a Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Travel Fellowship in 2016. WCMT Travel Fellowships are granted to front-line practitioners to further develop their area of expertise and integrate best practice findings into the UK. The mission of the WCMT is “go to learn, return to inspire”. Findings are based on observations and ethnographic methods during my travels, which included conducting semi-structured interviews with key informants, attending practitioners group discussions, participating in activist-led conferences and completing observations and journal notes. Using grounded theory data was organised into emerging themes. RESULTS: This paper focus on a key finding from the research; the systematic reduction of visible spaces of sex work across Europe. I use the examples and illustration from different cities across Europe to demonstrate how this affects service delivery to sex workers, and I explore some of the impacts on the lived realities of sex workers working in those spaces. DISCUSSION: Findings reveal increasing divisions between those who can work legally and those who cannot. This has resulted in the creation of sex work spaces that are outside of legality, research, health and social support provision.