River of Submissions
SWASA
Call for Inputs. Nepal Links between “Prostitution” and Violence against sex workers
This submission responds to the UN Special Rapporteur’s call for inputs on “Links between ‘Prostitution’ and Violence Against Sex Workers.” It highlights lived experiences, patterns of state and non-state violence, and policy barriers faced by sex workers in Nepal.
SWASA Call for Inputs. Links between “Prostitution” and Violence against sex workers
Titled “Sex Workers Demand for Decriminalisation to End Violence Against Women,” this submission was prepared by SWASA Bangladesh in response to the global call for inputs on “Links between ‘Prostitution’ and Violence Against Sex Workers.”
It outlines the urgent need for decriminalisation, recognition, and access to justice to end the structural and institutional violence faced by sex workers in Bangladesh.
India
Ninth Maharashtra Women’s Health Rights Conference
Women across Maharashtra came together in Palghar to share lived experiences and push for stronger health rights, justice, and systemic change.
Report on All India Shramik Sanman Yatra
The All India Shramik Sanman Yatra brought sex workers, informal laborers, and marginalized communities together to assert labor dignity, social protection, and union rights.
Report on the Legal Literacy component of SANGRAM
A nationwide report on SANGRAM’s Legal Literacy program, documenting how community-led trainings strengthened sex workers’ access to justice, rights, and dignity across India.
Report: Where Do We Go From Here – Reimagining Responses to Image-Based Abuse
Organized by Point of View, this workshop created space to reflect on image-based abuse and explore empathetic, future-focused responses.
Nepal
CEDAW Submission — Nepal: Addressing Discrimination and Violence Against Sex Workers
Submitted to: Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)
Submitted by: Sex Workers and Allies South Asia (SWASA) — Regional Alliance, with partners in NepalIn connection with Nepal’s CEDAW Shadow Report.
This submission highlights the lived realities of sex workers and the multiple forms of discrimination and violence they face. It documents how criminalisation, social stigma, and exclusion from national policies continue to place sex workers at risk.
The submission calls on the Government of Nepal to:
- Recognise sex work as legitimate work
- Ensure legal protection from violence and exploitation
- Repeal punitive laws that target sex workers
- Include sex workers’ perspectives in policy and reporting processes
CEDAW NGO REPORT FROM SEXWORKERS IN NEPAL
This NGO report from Nepal focuses on the experiences of sex workers, a particularly marginalized and vulnerable group. It highlights the pervasive discrimination, violence, and lack of access to justice faced by sex workers and calls for urgent action to address these issues. This report is prepared with inputs from sex workers belonging to 21 organisations.
Sri Lanka
CEDAW Shadow Report — Sri Lanka: Status of Sex Workers
Submitted to: Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)
Submitted by: Sex Workers and Allies South Asia (SWASA) — Regional Alliance, with partners in Sri Lanka
This joint submission by SWASA and partner organisations in Sri Lanka documents the lived realities of sex workers in the country. It highlights how criminalisation under the Vagrants Ordinance and Brothels Ordinance, combined with pervasive stigma and exclusion, has resulted in discrimination, violence, and denial of justice.
The report calls for urgent state action to:
- Repeal laws that criminalise or indirectly target sex workers
- Ensure access to justice and legal aid without discrimination
- Recognise sex work as work and extend labour rights and social protections
- Include sex workers in policymaking and gender equality frameworks