| PARTNER
TRANSNAZIONALI - GENDER STREET
DP Austria
Low-threshold Counselling and Qualification
for Female Sex Workers/Vienna
Objectives|
Target
groups and social situation
Actions based upon modules
| Contact person
| Short
description of DP partners
The DP offers counselling to sex workers as well as qualification
concerning their living- and working conditions and possibilities
to enter the formal labour market. A low-threshold counselling
centre wor-king with a holistic approach will be established
for all female sex workers.
OBJECTIVES
There is a sexmarket because of the existing demand
for prostitution and because of the women´s free or
forced decision to work as sex workers. One aim is to improve
the status of sex workers regar-ding health-, social- and
labour rights. A second objective is to broaden the individual
range of action by means of labour market related counselling
and basic qualification in order to strengthen and support
the decision of quitting sex work.
TARGET GROUPS AND
SOCIAL SITUATION
The number of Vienna based sex workers is estimated
to be roughly 6.000 to 8.000. They are a heterogenous, scattered
and mobile group. Of these, about 10% are registered, i.e.
they have a (health check) card. In the past 20 years, the
number of sex workers has risen in Austria. Also the number
of countries of origin has increased. Nevertheless women
from neighbouring countries such as Hungary, the Czech Republic
or Slovakia, who need no visa to enter Austria are the majority.
Austria applies the regulatory principle. Under this regime,
sex workers are confronted with a great number of laws and
controls. Moreover the provincial law regulates prostitution
for the individuals.
At the same time informality and social marginalisation
define their situation. In some aspects all sex workers
have the same problems and interests, in other aspects they
are com-pletely different. Health is an important topic
for all. However, while the largest group, namely migrant
sex workers, have a vital interest in obtaining residential
permissions, Austrian sex workers often are confronted with
the consequence of debts and drug addiction. In case of
drugs the cooperation with specific drug counselling centres
will be established.
ACTIONS BASED
UPON MODULES
1. A counselling centre
will be established.
2. The counselling centre will provide streetwork
and counselling in the centre.
Content: labour market, social-, health/SDT-counselling.
3. Migrant sex workers will be approached through
cultural mediation.
4. German language courses as well as basic computer
trainings will be offered.
5. A website will present the project and furthermore
will serve as an information platform with a discussion
forum and online-news for sex workers and interested persons.
Contact person
Gundi Dick (co-ordinator)
Volkshilfe Wien
Tel. +43-(0)676-9580283
Counselling centre:
A - 1150 Vienna, Oelweingasse 6-8
Objectives|
Target
groups and social situation
Actions based upon modules
| Contact person
| Short
description of DP partners
|
