Sex workers march in Mexico City to demand social security and rights

Mexico.- In the framework of the International Day of Sex Workers, dozens of people who practice sex work demonstrated this Sunday in the center of the Mexican capital to demand legal recognition of their work, access to social security and the cessation of the structural violence they face daily.

The mobilization commemorated the 50th anniversary of the historic 1975 protest in Lyon, France, when more than 150 women occupied a church to denounce violence and demand better working conditions. In Mexico, the march was organized by various civil organizations, such as the Brigada Callejera de Apoyo a la Mujer, the Centro de Atención a las Identidades Trans (Cait), the Coalición Laboral Puteril (CLaP), the Alianza Mexicana de Trabajadores Sexuales (Amets), and Lleca - Escuchando la calle.

Dressed in clothing that asserts their labor identity, short skirts, fishnet stockings, heels or tennis shoes, the protesters marched along Paseo de la Reforma and other streets of the capital's first district, chanting slogans such as: “Sir, madam, don't be indifferent, they are killing the whores in front of people!” and “Total respect for sex work!”.

Phrases like “Claudia, we are not all here. The whores are missing,” alluding to a message used by President Claudia Sheinbaum, were painted around fountains and walls, denouncing the invisibility and systematic violence they face. Sarah, 20, who has been doing sex work since she was 13, told the EFE agency that she has faced multiple forms of violence: “I have been denied access to healthcare and, on several occasions, police officers have charged me fines simply for being on the street,” she denounced.

According to figures from Brigada Callejera, in Mexico it is estimated that between 500,000 and 800,000 people engage in sex work, 90% of them women. In Mexico City alone, it is estimated that there are around 15,200 sex workers.

Santi, an activist from CLaP and member of Amets, highlighted the diversity within sex work: “We are not only on the streets. Many people work virtually, in the porn industry, or as dancers in bars. But stigma, violence, and censorship are constant in all the ways we carry out this work.”

The protesters demanded public policies that recognize and protect their labor and human rights, as well as an end to the social stigma that relegates them from public spaces and basic services.

With banners reading “Neither victims nor criminals, we are sex workers” and “My life has no price,” the protest concluded with a clear call: to live with dignity, without criminalization or violence, and with full recognition of their work as a legitimate activity.