Summary of the FCAA 2019 session by SWDC: Hacks from the Frontline: Sex Worker-Resourced Strategies for Creative and Responsive HIV Funding

Panelists (L to R): Maryse Mitchell-Brody, Third Wave Fund; Peninah Mwangi, Bar Hostess Empowerment and Support Programme (BHESP); Tamika Spellman, HIPS; Dr. Stellah Bosire, UHAI EASHRI; Vera Rodriguez, Red Umbrella Fund; Julia Lukomnik, Open Society Foundations

The SWDC and our partners organized a panel at FCAA 2019 in Washington DC titled Hacks from the Frontline: Sex Worker-Resourced Strategies for Creative and Responsive HIV Funding. The panel focused on how HIV funders can draw lessons from communities on the frontlines of the HIV epidemic, namely criminalized communities - especially sex workers, LGBTQI+ people and people of color.

“The Hack List: Hustler Lessons From Community Grantmaking By and For Sex Workers” is a list of recommendations that was inspired by the creativity, resilience and hustle of sex worker communities and was designed by three participatory grantmakers – the Third Wave Fund, Red Umbrella Fund and UHAI-EASHRI. Here’s a few list of related hacks (or creative work-arounds) and related issues that were highlighted during the conversation included:

• Communities should be at the table (or head of) and making decisions
• Relationships should be based on trust, not targets
• Pay community for their time and expertise
• Create more accessible application/reporting processes (meet people where they’re at)
• Consider that HIV-specific funding, particularly in Africa, may leave out many of the issues and realities that impact the lives of key populations
• Understand and talk about the intersections of different types of (de)criminalization together, but also in conjunction with wider issues (same sex relations, gender equality, abortion, etc.)

You can read the full FCAA 2019 Highlights brief here.