Together with a trainer, we visit sex workers directly at their workplace and offer self-defence on site. This is an innovative approach that has not yet been offered in Austria. Under the title ‘Safety in Sex Work’, sex workers receive valuable tips on how to prevent assaults, information on the different levels of intervention, and helpful techniques for dealing with various forms of assault. As a preventive measure, self-awareness, mindfulness, self-confidence, posture and setting boundaries are trained together. Existing safety measures in brothels are also discussed. In dialogue with sex workers, we define areas that need improvement and provide information on domestic/partner violence, safe working or knockout drops.
The aim is to reach as many sex workers as possible on the ground and also network them with each other as part of the training. A broad flow of information should help to make the lives and work of sex workers as safe as possible, while also ensuring respect for human rights. The first training sessions have already been completed and were very well received by sex workers.
Safety training for prevention
