Director of Sex Workers Alliance Ireland (SWAI) Kate McGrew (middle) at a sex workers conference in Stockhom, Sweden this afternoon

This afternoon.

In Stockholm, Sweden.

The International Committee on the Rights of Sex Workers in Europe (ICRSWE) is hosting a conference to mark the 20th anniversary of the Swedish Model.

Irish solicitor Wendy Lyon is live-tweeting from the conference, entitled Sex Work, Human Rights And Health: Assessing 20 Years Of Swedish Model, including a contribution from the director of the Sex Workers Alliance Ireland Kate McGrew.

From her tweetz:

.@LadyGrew now up, apologises for speaking on behalf of migrant sex workers in Ireland (even though she’s American) #ffconf — Wendy Lyon (@wendylyon) September 30, 2019

In Ireland, some workers have had to drop their prices to attract clients, some clients are avoiding particular nationalities out of fear of police attention #ffconf — Wendy Lyon (@wendylyon) September 30, 2019

.@SWAIIreland recently met Ombudsman over policing. A sex worker who’d been raped by a police officer that had raided her premises earlier complained but her complaint was dismissed #ffconf — Wendy Lyon (@wendylyon) September 30, 2019

So you’re telling us sex work is paid rape but when a Garda pressures a sex worker to have sex with him that’s consensual? #ffconf — Wendy Lyon (@wendylyon) September 30, 2019

Now referring to findings from the DOJ-NI study which show what a giant dud the Swedish model has been (see my pinned tweet for more details!) #ffconf — Wendy Lyon (@wendylyon) September 30, 2019

Clients in Ireland know that prostitution is policed through brothel raids, so now they’re asking us are we alone. That used to be a red flag but now we can’t use that to screen out dangerous clients #ffconf — Wendy Lyon (@wendylyon) September 30, 2019

Our “liaison officers” come from the police crackdown unit so we can’t trust that you’re not going to pass on inforrmation about where I work or my immigration status. Clients also know this. #ffconf — Wendy Lyon (@wendylyon) September 30, 2019

We worked with 3 Czech workers and supported them to make a police report, testify against him, he got 20 year sentence. But next week we learned another man was back attacking workers – and none of them would talk to liaison officers because of the brothel laws #ffconf — Wendy Lyon (@wendylyon) September 30, 2019

“Trafficking” can mean anything and everything in Ireland. Rarely do they check the indicators. Often the police just take the workers’ money and say go home. If you’re lucky they might give you plane fare. #ffconf — Wendy Lyon (@wendylyon) September 30, 2019

Most sex workers don’t even know they can plead not guilty to brothel keeping laws – most of them are just run through the system. (thanks for the shout-out Kate ☺️) #ffconf — Wendy Lyon (@wendylyon) September 30, 2019

We insisted on three year review and this is coming up soon – we’re part of five research projects to gather data. Doing a six-month campaign to try to draw attention to it and try to reach people’s hearts and minds, get them to ask questions of their politicians #ffconf — Wendy Lyon (@wendylyon) September 30, 2019

The other side will weaponise anything they can against us. They play dirty. #ffconf — Wendy Lyon (@wendylyon) September 30, 2019

We will be asking at least for legal clarification of the brothel keeping law. Police gonna police but if we can at least get them to stop pretending that they’re going after exploiters and not us, that’s a start. #ffconf — Wendy Lyon (@wendylyon) September 30, 2019

Antis say they didn’t want sex workers prosecuted under brothel keeping laws. We’re putting it up to them to join us in fighting to have the law changed. #ffconf — Wendy Lyon (@wendylyon) September 30, 2019

Earlier, Wendy tweeted the contribution from Adeline Berry…

We are facing an HIV epidemic in Ireland and yet migrant sex workers are afraid of carrying condoms as these can be used as evidence against them #ffconf — Wendy Lyon (@wendylyon) September 30, 2019

Clients are increasingly demanding unprotected sex. There have been at least 7 extremely violent robberies targeting lone sex workers – the ringleader is well known to police but sex workers aren’t willing to report to Gardaí #ffconf — Wendy Lyon (@wendylyon) September 30, 2019

A sex worker who was working to pay for her son’s kidney operation was fined and the money that she’d earned was ordered diverted to Ruhama #ffconf — Wendy Lyon (@wendylyon) September 30, 2019

Sex workers are being evicted with gardaí threatening to report their landlords, including myself – @adeline_whitney #ffconf — Wendy Lyon (@wendylyon) September 30, 2019

Follow Wendy here

Meanwhile…

Yesterday, in Stockholm…

Ms McGrew addressed a crowd gathered for the first ever sex worker rights protest in Stockholm, during which they called for an end to the Swedish Model.

Related: No council for (some) women: the NWCI and the silencing of sex workers (Wendy Lyon, Feminist Ire)

Previously: Let’s Talk About Sex Work