International Sex Workers Day [June 2]

International Sex Workers Day, celebrated on June 2, is dedicated to all sex workers and aims to demand better working conditions for them. This day commemorates the 1975 occupation of Église Saint-Nizier by sex workers to demand their rights. International Sex Workers Day is also known as Whores Day and is celebrated in many countries annually.

This day challenges the stigma associated with sex work, a historical profession that is looked down upon and demands better working conditions for sex workers. Learn more about Internationa Sex Workers Day, its history, and its significance here.

International Sex Workers Day 2023

International Sex Workers Day is a day to acknowledge sex work as real work. Sex work is one of the oldest professions in the world. Despite this, sex workers are seldom provided with humane and respectful working conditions. International Whores Day aims to demand rights and good working conditions for these professionals.

International Sex Workers Day 2023 Theme

The theme of International Sex Workers Day 2023 is “Access to Justice”. This theme remains constant every year. The NSWP (Global Network of Sex Work Projects) leads the events on this day. International Sex Workers Day theme aims to ensure that we collectively work towards demanding rights and justice for all sex workers.

Challenges Faced by Sex Workers

Some of the reasons why International Whores Day demands justice for sex workers are as follows.

• Sex workers face a lot of social stigma and bias because of their profession.
• A lot of sex workers feel threatened and are mistreated.
• Sex work is everywhere and with millions engaged in this profession, there should be official recognition of sex workers.

International Whores’ Day History

International Sex Workers Day commemorates a historic event that took place in 1975 in France. On this day, around a hundred sex workers took to the street to demand better working conditions. Read the complete history of International Whores Day below.

• Frustrated by the undignified working conditions, sex workers began protesting in Lyon, France in 1975.
• On June 2, 1975, sex workers occupied of Église Saint-Nizier in Lyon to draw attention to their issues.
• This unique incident prompted the establishment of June 2 as International Sex Workers Day.
• International Whores Day was celebrated for the first time on June 2, 1976, to commemorate the historic incident that took place a year ago.

Why Do We Celebrate International Sex Workers Day?

International Whores Day is celebrated to support sex workers in their demand for better working conditions. Sex work is everywhere yet it remains one of the biggest unregulated and unrecognized areas of work. Here is why International Sex Workers Day is significant for sex workers around the world.

• This day gives sex workers visibility and the opportunity to amplify their demands.
• International Whores Day gives sex workers a global platform to highlight the injustice and bias they are put through regularly.
• This day is also an attempt towards de-stigmatizing sex work and raising awareness about it as one of the most prevalent professions in the world.

How to Celebrate International Whores’ Day?

Anyone can participate in the annual International Sex Workers Day celebrations. Whether you’re a sex worker yourself or just a supporter, there are many ways to observe this day. Some of the popular ways to celebrate International Whores Day include the following.

• Join street protests as an ally to sex workers to demand working conditions for them.
• Support sex workers as they demand rights for their profession.
• One of the ways to celebrate International Sex Workers Day can be to participate in social media campaigns that spread the message.
• Support sex workers by amplifying their demands on a local, national, or global level.

FAQs on International Sex Workers Day

Q1. When is International Sex Workers Day celebrated?

International Sex Workers Day is celebrated on June 2 every year. The purpose of this day is to highlight the demands of sex workers for better working conditions. International Sex Workers Day was first celebrated on June 2, 1976, in Lyon, France.

Q2. What is the theme of International Sex Workers Day 2023?

International Sex Workers Day 2023 theme is “Access to Justice”. Sex workers face stigma and bias because of their profession and are often denied justice. The theme of International Sex Workers Day remains constant every year to emphasize the need to demand justice for sex workers.

Q3. Why do we celebrate International Sex Workers Day?

We celebrate International Sex Workers Day to give sex workers the recognition that they deserve. Sex work is one of the world’s oldest professions and sex workers deserve rights as all other workers do. International Sex Workers Day also demands better working conditions for all sex workers.

Q4. When was International Sex Workers Day first celebrated?

International Sex Workers Day was first celebrated on June 2, 1976. This day commemorates the historic occupation of Église Saint-Nizier in Lyon by sex workers on the same day a year ago. To mark this occasion, June 2 is celebrated as International Whores Day annually.

Q5. How to celebrate International Sex Workers Day?

International Sex Workers Day is celebrated in many different ways, some of which are as follows.

• Join a local protest as an ally to sex workers to demand better rights and better working conditions for them.
• Participate in social media campaigns that spread the message of International Sex Workers Day.
• Support sex workers by raising awareness about recognizing their profession.

Q6. Where is International Sex Workers Day celebrated?

International Sex Workers Day originated in France in 1975. However, it slowly gained traction in other parts of the world. After France, Germany, and Spain were one of the first countries to celebrate International Whores Day. Today, it is celebrated in many more countries like the US, India, etc.