In February 2012, UAF received a request from previous grantee Pink Life to organize a march to protest the recent case police brutality against a twenty eight year old sex worker who was fined by the police for engaging in sex work. She had been fined numerous times and believed that the police were deliberately and systematically targeting her. Due to this, she resisted arrest and the police tortured her for two hours at the station. The police then took her directly to court and the judge refused to listen to her and the prosecutor’s office filed a case against her for refusing arrest. Funds were requested to organize a high-profile march specifically on Sex Workers’ Day to protest the police brutality experienced by this particular sex worker and use this recent case to highlight the discrimination and police brutality experienced by numerous other sex workers in general. The action will bring women’s rights activists from different cities in Turkey and will include a theater play and small concert.
Pink Life, is an organization working to improve the standard of living of transwomen in Turkey by advocating and lobbying for their human rights towards the realm of legislation and policy.
