Legal Literacy and Self-Advocacy: Training for Sex Workers in Armenia

In June 2025, the Right Side Human Rights Defender NGO organized an educational training titled “Legal Literacy and Self-Advocacy” with the financial support of the Red Umbrella Fund. The training brought together 18 sex workers from Yerevan and various regions of Armenia and was designed to equip participants with essential knowledge on legal rights, personal safety strategies, and self-advocacy tools.

In the Armenian context—where sex workers often face stigma, discrimination, violence, exploitation, and police abuse—such trainings are a vital step toward empowerment and protection.

The training began with ice-breaking and team-building games that helped participants connect with one another and create an atmosphere of trust and openness. Throughout the training, participants engaged in interactive sessions and discussions focused on:

·  Understanding and applying their legal rights

·  Strategies for interacting with police and law enforcement officers

·  Harm reduction as a tool for personal and community safety

·  Managing stress and safeguarding mental health

·  Designing personal and collective advocacy actions

During the group work sessions, participants shared their lived experiences, analyzed real-life case studies, and exchanged practical solutions. Working in small teams, they developed concrete action plans aimed at creating peer support mechanisms, building mutual aid networks, and initiating community-led empowerment projects.

At the end of the training, participants collectively identified several key priorities for the future:

·  Organizing more legal empowerment workshops, especially in rural areas

·  Establishing a safe communication platform for sex workers to share concerns and receive help

·  Partnering with legal and medical professionals to defend their rights and health

·  Disseminating the knowledge they gained to other members of their communities

Many participants expressed that the training was a turning point—offering them not only vital information but also a sense of solidarity, confidence, and pride. For some, it was the first time they openly voiced their fears and traumas in a safe and understanding environment.

The Right Side NGO remains committed to empowering sex workers in Armenia by fostering their legal literacy, self-defense capacities, and access to a life of dignity, health, and safety.