News
17 December: what is celebrated today
17 December is a date marked by memory, empathy and the defence of human rights. Around the world, the International Day to End Violence against Sex Workers is observed, a day of struggle, reflection and solidarity with one of society’s most invisibilised and stigmatised groups.
International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers
Since 2003, this date has been remembered every 17 December as an act of tribute and protest. The initiative began in Seattle, USA, after crimes committed by the serial killer known as the ‘Green River Killer’, responsible for the deaths of dozens of women — most of them sex workers — during the 1980s and 1990s.
What began as a vigil to honour the victims became an international movement for human rights. Today, the day seeks to make visible the violence experienced by people engaged in sex work: assaults, discrimination, police abuse, social exclusion and lack of legal protection.
The central message of this day is clear: no one should be assaulted, humiliated or killed because of their profession, gender or social status.
Beyond moral debates, the observance focuses on the essential: the right to live with safety and dignity. Organisations defending sex workers’ rights demand fair laws, accessible health policies, psychological support and an end to the social stigma that marginalises them.
Every year, associations in different cities organise marches, talks and candlelight vigils, remembering victims of violence and demanding respect and protection.