Sex Work, Sexual Violence and Trafficking in the Sex Trade: Differences and Overlaps
Kate D'Adamo & Justice Rivera | September 20 | 1:30-2:30 PM
Topic: Conceptual | Knowledge Level: Intermediate | Location: Ingman Room
In this presentation, participants will better understand three experiences which are often conflated – trading sex, sexual violence, and trafficking into the sex trade. This workshop seeks to break down these three distinct experiences and discuss the places where they may occur in tandem in order to better understand the nuances of each. The foundation will begin with what we mean when we talk about the sex trade, offering a neutral foundation which spans the constellation of choice, circumstance and coercion. Building on this understanding, the presenters will look at sexual violence that may be uniquely experienced by people who trade sex at the hands of a range of actors and experiences of exploitation and trafficking. The workshop will be both conceptual, as well as draw on community experience and knowledge, and incorporate tangible examples for how this comes up in community spaces, as well as service provision. This workshop will be presented by two experts in the field with experience in community organizing, service provision and advocacy for people who trade sex, including victims of trafficking, victims of violence, and victims of the criminal legal system.
Presentation Objectives:
· Discuss the unique ways that people who trade sex encounter sexual violence, and how it can be distinct from the experience of trading sex or of trafficking
· Articulate the difference between sexual violence experienced by sex workers and trafficking into the sex trade, both conceptually and as a lived experience