SAVE

SAVE (Sex workers Against Violence and Exploitation) is an informal activist collective in The Netherlands that consists of primarily young sex workers (and a few older sex workers) of different genders. SAVE was founded to fight against the Wet Regulering Sekswerk law and works to combat violence towards and exploitation of sex workers by sharing valuable harm-reduction information and speaking out against stigma. COVID-19 hit the sex worker community extremely hard as sex workers suddenly lost their work and income, and many received no support from the government. Those who continued working, although forbidden, face police harassment, fines, eviction and client violence. In addition, trans sex workers are struggling to access hormones. Although licensed sex workers are allowed to work again, many still face challenges. SAVE aims to support sex workers’ basic needs and expenses through collaboration with the Dutch Emergency Fund and Trans United Europe, sparking hope and a sense of solidarity in the sex work community