Reportage- COSWAS (Collective of Sex Workers and Supporters)

A bit of background history: it is legal to be a sex worker in Taiwan, according to our constitution, as long as the business occurs within a designated area set up by the local government. The problem is that not every city has established an area for local sex workers. Back in 1997, the Taipei City Mayor at the time, Chen Shui Bian, closed all the legal brothels. Although a designated area was promised for the sex workers by the government later, it was never set up. Some sex workers changed their career paths, some struggled to find a way out and turned to work illegally on the street. With younger, migrated sex workers joining the competition in the neighbourhood, a few of the senior sexworkers took smuggling jobs from drug dealers. Of course working for drug dealers means dead ends. Now these senior sex workers are arrested and sentenced to jail for 8-15 years.

I learnt about these facts from Zita, who is a volunteer of COSWAS and a strong advocate for this group of senior sex workers. Although there is nothing left to do to change the sentence, I do think the Taipei City government should deliver their promise and set up an area for all sex workers to work legally. I offered to do reportage sketching for COSWAS so they let me tag along on the day they protested at the City Hall.

Not sure if the Mayor caught the news or if he really had his calendar full, he wasn't in the office that day. The lift control panel was modified and no one could have access to the floor where the Mayor's office is. When the protesters of COSWAS managed to gain access to the floor through stairs, they were blocked at the entrance by some officials and police officers. I sketched the conflict while standing on the staircase. Unfortunately, after a lengthy argument the group still couldn't see the Mayor or deliver their request on paper to his office. The Media Liaison Officer, however, did attend the press conference.


It of course was not a fruitful meeting. No one expected it to be. The sex workers who were brave enough to show up that day were just hoping to have their voice heard. The COSWAS advocates for them, but these brave sex workers were also advocating for many women. They don't wish to change their sentence but they hope no other sex workers would have to work illegally for gangsters  just to make ends meet.