HRC 59

Angola must address violence against women from a broader social justice perspective and strengthen prevention work by getting to the core of the patriarchal ideologies that sustain the violence, countering harmful narratives, and uprooting the norms that perpetuate it.

Bosnia and Herzegovina must undergo extensive legislative reform, and adopt comprehensive policy instruments which inter alia improve its recognition of the rights to private life of same-sex couples, and the rights of transgender and intersex persons to healthcare and legal gender recognition.

On Thursday 26 June 2025, sex workers and allies will gather for an important protest at the iconic Broken Chair monument, Place des Nations, from 18:00 to 19:30.

Under the banner “Only Rights Can Stop the Wrongs”, this demonstration will honour and celebrate the powerful legacy of sex worker rights activism and its hard-won victories, while also calling attention to the ongoing struggle to recognise the rights of sex workers today.

Sex workers have a right to a safe working environment. We are women, we are mothers, we are workers. But due to criminalisation and discrimination, going back home alive everyday is not assured.

As sex workers, we demand respect for our consent when we say we choose sex work and when we demand the full decriminalisation of our work for our rights, health and safety.

The report on consent presents overly broad generalisations without clear alternatives, grouping diverse industries under uniform criticism. Her paternalistic analysis denies the decision-making autonomy of women, effectively denying their agency under the guise of protection. This protectionist analysis, which is reflected in the Special Rapporteur’s work, scapegoats trans and gender diverse people, creating an artificial hierarchy of rights.

By focusing on “protective” approaches rooted in moral frameworks, the report reinforces harmful narratives that view sex workers primarily as victims, or ignore the existence of sex work as work! The digital frontier is not new for sex workers; for years, we have faced cyber-bullying, online harassment, cyber monitoring, and platform discrimination. Punitive laws and anti-sex work policies continue to expose sex workers to violence, both online and offline, and restrict our access to digital tools that we utilize for our safety

We appreciate that the report recognizes the contribution that care and support work makes to the global economy. To talk seriously about care is to talk about money. We support its assertion that care and support systems must be grounded in an intersectional, feminist, and human rights-based approach, and that the work of those who provide care must be decent, formalized, and well-paid. We emphasize the obligations of States in this matter, and the need to reduce and redistribute unpaid care work.

As we address gender-based violence in conflict, post-conflict, and humanitarian settings, we must prioritize one of the marginalized groups who are often ignored: female sex workers. Sex workers face compounded vulnerabilities, including stigma, discrimination, and lack of access to justice. Health and safety concerns are exacerbated in conflict, with increased risks of violence, HIV, and other health issues. Human rights violations are rampant, with dignity and freedom from violence consistently disregarded.

Sex workers face obstacles in accessing justice, both as victims of crime and when accused. Criminalisation of sex work, stigma and discrimination, as well as police corruption and violence, also limit successful prosecutions and convictions of perpetrators, as well as access to compensation and support services for victims.

The rights of migrant workers, whether domestic workers or sex workers, are under threat. Racist policies towards immigrants force us underground and, above all, increase our vulnerability to trafficking. We are exposed to violence and exploitation.

States are failing in their obligations to respect, protect, and fulfill the right to health and coverage alone is not enough. Even in countries with universal health care like Canada, over 6.5 million people lack access to a family doctor. As public health systems face mounting pressure from austerity measures, privatization, chronic funding cuts, and impact of foreign debt and economic sanctions, inadequate compensation and heavy administrative burdens are driving burnout and dissatisfaction among healthcare workers. These increasing barriers to access and the erosion of global health infrastructures are deepening inequities, especially for marginalized communities.

We underscore the crucial role of community-based networks—generally composed of women. Their support and provision of information, supplies, and services in relation to reproductive decisions and needs, including abortion, are essential both for the effective exercise of rights and for preventing serious harm and loss of life.

Technological sovereignty and international collaboration are essential. Transnational corporations must use open technologies and open source in the development of AI to ensure equal access to knowledge and distribution of technologies, but also to ensure open oversight of how the technology works and its potential biases.

The 59th session of the UN Human Rights Council will take place from 16 June to 9 July 2025. Once again, the session will not be hybrid because of the absence of a mandate from the General Assembly to retain remote participation. This will not affect pre-recorded statements at all debates, panels and discussions, as well as the webcasting on UN Web TV of the public meetings scheduled in the Programme of Work.