EMPOWER
Encyclopedia
EMPOWER also known as Centre for Sex Workers' Protection or Moolniti Songserm Okard Pooying , is a non-profit organisation in Thailand
that supports sex worker
s by offering free classes in language, health, law and pre-college education as well as individual counseling. The organisation also lobbies the government to extend regular labour protections to sex workers and to legalize prostitution.
EMPOWER was founded in 1985 by Chantawipa Apisuk; she still serves as the organisation's director and runs the head office in Nonthaburi Province
. The organisation maintains centers in Patpong
(Bangkok
), Chiang Mai
, Chiang Rai
, Mae Sai
and Patong Beach
, Phuket
.
Unlike most Thai organisations operating in this field, EMPOWER takes a neutral stance towards sex work and does not pressure people to leave the trade. Partly because of this, EMPOWER receives little financial support from the Thai government; the bulk of the donations come from abroad.
In 2003 the organisation published a report stating that many anti-trafficking
organisations failed to recognize the important difference between migrant sex workers and women forced to prostitute themselves against their will. They documented a May 2003 "raid and rescue" operation on a brothel in Chiang Mai that was carried out by TRAFCORD with support by the International Justice Mission
(IJM). The operation was carried out without the consent of the sex workers and resulted in numerous human rights violations. IJM subsequently ended its countertrafficking work in Thailand. Chantawipa Apisuk has said that in her opinion these raids and the following arrests and stigmatization only worsen the situation of most prostitutes.
At the International AIDS Conference
in Bangkok in 2004, EMPOWER set up a mock go go bar complete with a dancer to highlight efforts to increase condom
use among sex workers; this was criticised by then Health Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan
.
Shortly after the tsunami of December 2004
, EMPOWER opened their office in Patong Beach
, Phuket
and published a report estimating that over 2,000 sex workers had died and lamenting the lack of support for migrant sex workers affected by the flood. In September 2005 they started a radio programme for sex workers in Phuket.
In 2006 EMPOWER opened a worker-owned bar in Chiang Mai
, named "Can Do". It is intended as a model for exemplary working conditions in the industry, giving workers a day off per week and providing social security benefits.
EMPOWER publishes a Thai language newsletter called "Bad Girls" which allows sex workers to express themselves.
UNAIDS and UNDP announced at the XVII International AIDS Conference, 2008
in Mexico City
that EMPOWER had received one of 25 Red Ribbon Awards. This award, designed to celebrate community leadership and action on AIDS, included a $5,000 stipend, allowing EMPOWER to participate at the conference.
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
that supports sex worker
Sex worker
A sex worker is a person who works in the sex industry. The term is usually used in reference to those in the sex industry that actually provide such sexual services, as opposed to management and staff of such industries...
s by offering free classes in language, health, law and pre-college education as well as individual counseling. The organisation also lobbies the government to extend regular labour protections to sex workers and to legalize prostitution.
EMPOWER was founded in 1985 by Chantawipa Apisuk; she still serves as the organisation's director and runs the head office in Nonthaburi Province
Nonthaburi Province
Nonthaburi is one of the central provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Pathum Thani, Bangkok and Nakhon Pathom....
. The organisation maintains centers in Patpong
Patpong
Patpong is an entertainment district in Bangkok, Thailand, catering mainly, though not exclusively, to foreign tourists and expatriates. While Patpong is internationally known as a red light district at the heart of Bangkok's sex industry, it is in fact only one of numerous red-light districts...
(Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
), Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai sometimes written as "Chiengmai" or "Chiangmai", is the largest and most culturally significant city in northern Thailand. It is the capital of Chiang Mai Province , a former capital of the Kingdom of Lanna and was the tributary Kingdom of Chiang Mai from 1774 until 1939. It is...
, Chiang Rai
Chiang Rai
-Demographics:Official Population count: According to the Thailand National Statistical Office, as of September 2010, Chiang Rai municipal district has a population of 199,699...
, Mae Sai
Mae Sai
Mae Sai is the northernmost district of Chiang Rai Province in northern Thailand. The town of Mae Sai is a major border crossing between Thailand and Burma...
and Patong Beach
Patong Beach
Patong Beach refers to a beach on Phuket's west coast, and to the town adjoining it. It is the main tourist resort in Phuket. It also contains an important center of Phuket's nightlife and is the center of inexpensive shopping on the island. The beach became popular with Western tourists,...
, Phuket
Phuket Province
Phuket , formerly known as Thalang and, in Western sources, Junk Ceylon , is one of the southern provinces of Thailand...
.
Unlike most Thai organisations operating in this field, EMPOWER takes a neutral stance towards sex work and does not pressure people to leave the trade. Partly because of this, EMPOWER receives little financial support from the Thai government; the bulk of the donations come from abroad.
In 2003 the organisation published a report stating that many anti-trafficking
Human trafficking
Human trafficking is the illegal trade of human beings for the purposes of reproductive slavery, commercial sexual exploitation, forced labor, or a modern-day form of slavery...
organisations failed to recognize the important difference between migrant sex workers and women forced to prostitute themselves against their will. They documented a May 2003 "raid and rescue" operation on a brothel in Chiang Mai that was carried out by TRAFCORD with support by the International Justice Mission
International Justice Mission
International Justice Mission is a U.S.-based non-profit human rights organization that operates in countries all over the world to rescue victims of individual human rights abuse. IJM works to combat human trafficking including the commercial sexual exploitation of children, forced labor...
(IJM). The operation was carried out without the consent of the sex workers and resulted in numerous human rights violations. IJM subsequently ended its countertrafficking work in Thailand. Chantawipa Apisuk has said that in her opinion these raids and the following arrests and stigmatization only worsen the situation of most prostitutes.
At the International AIDS Conference
XV International AIDS Conference, 2004
The XV International AIDS Conference was held in Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand, from July 11 to July 16, 2004. The main venue for the conference was the IMPACT Muang Thong Thani convention centre at Nonthaburi, north-east of downtown Bangkok. It was the first international AIDS conference...
in Bangkok in 2004, EMPOWER set up a mock go go bar complete with a dancer to highlight efforts to increase condom
Condom
A condom is a barrier device most commonly used during sexual intercourse to reduce the probability of pregnancy and spreading sexually transmitted diseases . It is put on a man's erect penis and physically blocks ejaculated semen from entering the body of a sexual partner...
use among sex workers; this was criticised by then Health Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan
Sudarat Keyuraphan
Sudarat Keyuraphan is a Thai politician and the deputy leader of the Thai Rak Thai party. She served as the Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives of Thailand in the Thai Rak Thai government until its ousting in the September 2006 coup.Born in Bangkok, Sudarat is a graduate of Chulalongkorn...
.
Shortly after the tsunami of December 2004
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake...
, EMPOWER opened their office in Patong Beach
Patong Beach
Patong Beach refers to a beach on Phuket's west coast, and to the town adjoining it. It is the main tourist resort in Phuket. It also contains an important center of Phuket's nightlife and is the center of inexpensive shopping on the island. The beach became popular with Western tourists,...
, Phuket
Phuket Province
Phuket , formerly known as Thalang and, in Western sources, Junk Ceylon , is one of the southern provinces of Thailand...
and published a report estimating that over 2,000 sex workers had died and lamenting the lack of support for migrant sex workers affected by the flood. In September 2005 they started a radio programme for sex workers in Phuket.
In 2006 EMPOWER opened a worker-owned bar in Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai sometimes written as "Chiengmai" or "Chiangmai", is the largest and most culturally significant city in northern Thailand. It is the capital of Chiang Mai Province , a former capital of the Kingdom of Lanna and was the tributary Kingdom of Chiang Mai from 1774 until 1939. It is...
, named "Can Do". It is intended as a model for exemplary working conditions in the industry, giving workers a day off per week and providing social security benefits.
EMPOWER publishes a Thai language newsletter called "Bad Girls" which allows sex workers to express themselves.
UNAIDS and UNDP announced at the XVII International AIDS Conference, 2008
XVII International AIDS Conference, 2008
The XVII International AIDS Conference was held in Mexico City, Mexico from August 3–8, 2008. The theme of the conference was "Universal Action Now."-Topics covered:Some of the topics covered at the conference include the following:...
in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
that EMPOWER had received one of 25 Red Ribbon Awards. This award, designed to celebrate community leadership and action on AIDS, included a $5,000 stipend, allowing EMPOWER to participate at the conference.
External links
- EMPOWER homepage
- Photo report about a visit at EMPOWER Chiang Mai, March 2007. By Tim Matsui.