1. Economic empowerment for sex workers
Best practices from the SUSO program
Naroesha Jagessar
Senior policy advisor for the sex work program at Aids Fonds
International Aids Conference, 21 July 2016, Durban, South Africa

2. Why sex workers?
Sex workers are 12 times more vulnerable to HIV than the general population
When empowered to access additional sources of income and have more control of their financial resources, they are better able to:
Negotiate safe sex
Extricate themselves from violent clients
Access health and support services
Plan for times they can not work

3. The Suso program
EUR 6,000,000,-
Funded by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Empowering sex workers to make informed choices regarding their own lives, health and career
Supporting sex workers to acquire skills and opportunities that will lead to increased income sources and career opportunities
Strengthening capacity of sex worker led organisations

4. 15 partners in 11 countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia

5. Lessons learnt

6. Participation of sex workers (needs, attitudes, practices)

7. Participation of sex workers (needs, attitudes, practices)

8. access to resources

9. basic financial skills

10. leaving sex work is not required

11. Participation of sex workers
Lessons learnt
Participation of sex workers
Access to resources combined with basic financial skills
Leaving sex work is NOT required

12. THANK YOU! For more information please check out our
Best Practice publication
or contact
Aids Fonds
Sex Work Programme
With thanks to:
Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and all SuSo partners
Co-authors: Sally Hendriks (Aids Fonds), Erastus Ndunda (HOYMAS), Liana Papua (OPSI), Marie-Louise Wijne (Aids Fonds)