Hostility towards sex work

Sex work is legally recognised in Switzerland – and yet it remains heavily stigmatised by society. Many sex workers experience exclusion, prejudice and discrimination in their everyday lives. At the same time, various political and social groups are calling for a ban on the purchase of sexual services, which sex workers and specialist organisations, however, view as an additional threat and a further push towards precarious working conditions.

But what specific impacts do stigmatisation and such political efforts have on the lives of sex workers, their safety and their participation in society? How do deeply rooted social attitudes shape sex work? And what approaches are there to breaking down prejudices and overcoming the stigmatisation of sex work in the long term?

We discuss this with Ruby Rebelde, a sex worker and author of *Why They Hate Us: Hostility Towards Sex Work* , sex worker Jana Oneira and Dr iur. Beatrice Bänninger, Managing Director of Solidara Zurich / Isla Victoria