Scarlet Alliance is the national peak sex worker organisation of Australia and was formed in 1989. Scarlet Alliance, Australian sex workers Association, through its objectives, policies and programs, aims to achieve equality, social, legal, political, cultural and economic justice for past and present workers in the sex industry, in order for sex workers to be self-determining agents, building their own alliances and choosing where and how they work as outlined in its mission statement.[1]
Scarlet Alliance has operated as a volunteer organisation since its inception, gaining funding since 2004 for project work both in Australia and internationally. Scarlet Alliance advocates on behalf of a membership of individual sex workers, funded sex worker organizations, projects, and unfunded sex worker networks and groups to inform and improve the policies of: Government, medical services, police, researchers, AFP, DIAC, and within the sex industry. The group aims to achieve an increased understanding of sex workers and issues affecting us, improved OH&S, awarding of human rights and labour rights and the removal of discriminatory laws and policy.
Scarlet Alliance also conducts a yearly national meeting, with sex worker delegates from around Australia attending.[2] The meeting is held in a different State each year to maximise the inclusion of local sex workers. An AGM and public symposium are also held at this time.
Scarlet Alliance holds training,[3] public and community forums, and presents at universities, conferences and forums both in Australia and within the region breaking down stigma and addressing negative stereotyping by offering evidence based information that is in opposition to the popular misconceptions about who sex workers are, what is involved in sex work and why sex workers choose sex work.
The organisation has been, and is, a key advocate and participant in HIV& STI prevention work in Australia. Sex worker communities in Australia have high rates of condom use, low rates of STIs, HIV and AIDS. The organisation's objectives are public on the website.[4]
Scarlet Alliance has worked for more than 15 years toward rights for migrant sex workers and to assist Australia to avoid the mistakes other countries have experienced in adopting anti-trafficking measures which single out the sex industry for raids and rescues. Scarlet Alliance advocates that legal methods of migration for sex workers seeking to work in Australia would empower sex workers to travel reducing the incentive of verbal contracts.
The Scarlet Alliance national training project is a 14 core module and 4 elective module assessment package that allows peer educators sex workers working with other sex workers, sharing strategies, information and knowledge in a two way process covering: HIV and STI prevention, condom use negotiation; safe working practices; legal, taxation, and OH&S rights and responsibilities and workplace related matters to work through a self passed assessment with an assessor identifying and providing proof of work completed for the successful applicant to achieve the qualification of a Diploma of Community Education. These modules identify the key skills of peer educators and assist in setting high standards of peer education within sex worker organisations in Australia.
As sex work in Australia takes place in a work place or work space for the majority of sex workers rights and conditions in the workplace impact directly on sex workers ability to negotiate working safely and negotiating condom use. The Scarlet Alliance motto is, "Sex Work is work!" This is in line with how sex workers understand and approach their involvement in the industry.
The Scarlet Alliance magazine proVision carries articles on this and many more aspects of sex work.
Scarlet Alliance networks with sister sex worker organisations including Friends Frangipani Association in Papua New Guinea, Empower in Thailand, IUSW on the United Kingdom, DMSC in India, WNU in Cambodia, COSWAS in Taiwan, COYOTE in the United States, Ziteng in Hong Kong etc