Abstract
The Philippine Sex Workers Collective is an organisation of current and former sex workers who reject the criminalisation of sex work and the dominant portrayal of sex workers as victims. Based on my interviews with leaders of the Collective and fifty other sex workers in Metro Manila, I argue in this paper that a range of contextual constraints limits the ability of Filipino sex workers to effectively organise and lobby for their rights. For example, the Collective cannot legally register because of the criminalisation of sex work, and this impacts their ability to access funding and recruit members. The structural configuration of the Philippines’ Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking incentivises civil society organisations to adhere to a unified position on sex work as violence against women. The stigma against sex work in a predominantly Catholic country is another constraint. Recently, President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs has been weaponised by some members of the police to harass sex workers. Finally, I reflect on strategies the Collective could adopt to navigate the limited space they have for representation, such as crucial partnerships, outreach work, and legal remedies.
Highlights
I used to work for a leading anti-trafficking nonprofit in the Philippines
The Philippine Sex Workers Collective is an organisation of current and former sex workers who reject the criminalisation of sex work and the dominant portrayal of sex workers as victims
My interview data supports Matthews’ argument that a strict economic focus when assessing types of sex work in the Philippines is insufficient and that socio-moral values are just as relevant in affecting a range of possible social stigmas and self-identities associated with each type of sex work, usually based on the extent to which sex workers ‘present themselves as providing sex as their primary service.’[36]. Street-based sex workers transact in the public domain and are more upfront about their work, while escorts are more subtle and discreet
Summary
I used to work for a leading anti-trafficking nonprofit in the Philippines. I was disturbed by the absence of sex workers in discussions about trafficking for sexual exploitation and the privileged discursive position of trafficking survivors and anti-prostitution women’s organisations. ‘Tex’, one of the founders, responded with scepticism and reminded me about the police raids on commercial sex establishments and the outing of sex workers in news media, especially in the period following the enactment of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003 (ATIP law). Despite this initial hesitation, my online message exchanges with the Collective continued for a year. My online message exchanges with the Collective continued for a year In their replies, the leaders of the Collective assured me that they, too, agree that women who are in sex work but wish to leave should have access to meaningful alternatives. They usually earn less than escorts or call girls, whose clientele are wealthier, and who are likely to be more educated and possess greater social capital
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