Juventas: Stop physical, institutional and psychological violence against sex workers

The non-governmental organization Juventas called for urgent mechanisms to be launched to stop "physical, institutional and psychological violence against people engaged in sex work."

They spoke out on the occasion of December 17th - the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Sex Workers, saying that these people in Montenegro are "affected by systemic discrimination" and that they continue to remain almost invisible to institutions.

"Research shows that sex workers face extremely high social distance in almost all aspects of social interactions. They are among the social groups most difficult to accept by the general population, which directly affects their personal safety, mental health and access to basic rights," the statement reads.

They recall that data from the Institute of Public Health, collected in 2022 in cooperation with the NGO Juventas, show that more than half of sex workers in Montenegro have experienced some form of violence in their lifetime, while more than a third have been exposed to violence in the last year. "Despite such high rates of violence, only 12,8 percent of sex workers have turned to institutions for help, which indicates a deep distrust in the system and a feeling that protection is not available or achievable."

Additionally worrying, they said, are the results of a public opinion survey conducted by Juventas at the end of 2023: "A significant portion of citizens, almost a quarter (25,9%) of those surveyed, do not believe that the police should protect persons engaged in sex work in cases of violence, while half of the respondents (50,6%) support their punishment."

Such attitudes, Juventas says, reflect strong moral and cultural prejudices that normalize violence against sex workers, discourage them from approaching institutions, and further deepen social exclusion.

They also believe that institutional support for people involved in sex work is extremely limited.

"Health and social systems are perceived as insufficiently accessible and insufficiently sensitized, especially in the areas of mental health, psychological and social protection. In practice, reliance on support is most often limited to informal networks, while the only continuous, but insufficient in terms of scope of services, support service is organized through the civil sector – specifically, the Juventas drop-in center."

The NGO says that the violence against sex workers is not an isolated incident, but a consequence of social stigma, high social distance and a lack of systemic protection mechanisms. "The fight against violence against sex workers must involve clear institutional accountability, protection of human dignity and the right to safety for every person, always and everywhere."

Therefore, they proposed several steps, including launching long-term national campaigns against violence, stigma and discrimination, with a clear focus on sex workers.

They also propose improving curricula at all levels of education to systematically address topics of human rights, social inclusion, and the rights of marginalized groups, including people involved in sex work.

Juventas also proposes organizing continuous training for police, healthcare workers, social workers, judges, prosecutors, and journalists on working with people involved in sex work; and introducing clear anti-discrimination protocols in institutions and consistently sanctioning "discriminatory practices and institutional violence."

They also propose the establishment of specialized trust teams, modeled on existing models of cooperation with the LGBTIQ+ community, which would provide support to people engaged in sex work and monitor the actions of institutions; and to provide free psychological counseling for people engaged in sex work as a standard public service, including telephone lines for emergency psychological support, with a special focus on vulnerable groups.

Juventas also proposes to improve the availability of health and social services, especially in the areas of mental health, social services and child protection, taking into account the specific needs of people involved in sex work and their children.

In accordance with expert recommendations and international good practices, Juventas also suggests, models for decriminalization and regulation of sex work should be considered, with a focus on protecting the human rights, safety and health of persons engaged in sex work.

"Violence against sex workers is the result of political decisions, social values ​​and institutional irresponsibility – and therefore it can and must be stopped," the statement reads.