Dear FOSME colleagues,
We are in the early stages of preparing a special issue proposal for an
international journal (e.g., Sexuality Research and Social Policy or
similar) focused on Sweden’s approach to the exchange of sexual services
for payment.
We are now reaching out to gauge interest from members of this list. If you
are working on relevant research and would consider contributing, please
let us know by replying “yes” to this email. The focus of your contribution
could be legal, empirical, theoretical, or practice-based.
A formal call for abstracts will follow after the upcoming conference. In
the meantime, we welcome expressions of interest or questions. See the call
for abstracts below, which is a draft.
Call for Abstracts – Special Issue Proposal
Working Title: Two Decades of Criminalizing Sex Purchase in Sweden: Policy,
Practice, and Resistance
In 1999, Sweden became the first country to criminalize the purchase of
sex, positioning the law as a cornerstone of its gender equality agenda and
as a tool to combat violence against women. This approach has since been
exported and debated across the globe.
Over the past two decades, Sweden has increasingly expanded the scope of
criminalization. Recent developments include stricter penalties, including
the possibility of prison sentences for those who pay for sexual services,
and a 2025 proposal to criminalize the purchase of digital sexual content,
such as services offered via platforms like OnlyFans. Simultaneously,
Sweden has faced growing criticism for failing to deliver the promised
investments in social services that were intended to support those who sell
sexual services.
This special issue brings together critical perspectives on the legal,
social, and political aspects of Sweden’s approach. It aims to examine how
the criminalization of exchanging sex for payment has reshaped policy and
practice, and to foreground the experiences of those most affected by the
law, especially people who sell sexual services, who have increasingly
mobilized in response to the law’s repressive impacts.
Topics may include (but are not limited to):
• Legal and policy developments since 1999
• The experiences of people who sell or pay for sexual services
• Digital sexual services and online regulation
• Social work and welfare responses
• Sex worker rights activism in Sweden
• Public attitudes and cultural narratives
Warm regards,
Isabelle, Niina, and Jenny.
--
Isabelle
--
Isabelle
Dears,
as the conference is approaching, I wanted to share with you the programme. If you are not presenting but would like to come and take part as the audience, please fill the registration that is available at the webpage with the conference details.
https://www.sh.se/english/sodertorn-university/calendar/events/2025-05-15-j…
I also wanted to ask those of you who are planning to attend, if you would agree to chair the panels at the conference? Then I could maybe introduce the network as a partner in this conference so that the Fosme could also included? What do you think?
All the best
Anna
ANNA RATECKA POSTDOC
School of Social Work
SÖDERTÖRN UNIVERSITY | STOCKHOLM
Alfred Nobels Allé 7, Flemingsberg
141 89 Huddinge
08 608 40 00
sh.se
[cid:110d2e43-3a02-45fa-ad49-6a5fb9b0850f]
Dear all
As several of you expressed a wish to continue our discussion on challenges studying the field, and how to turn them into advantages, we scheduled a meeting for today at 14.00.
I have not prepared a particular agenda, but I can lead the meeting, picking up from where we left off. I would for instance appreciate hearing how the preparations for the Special Issue is going.
Also, my apologies for not sending you my notes from our last meetings.
I believe Charlotte will provide a zoom-link.
Cheers
Petra
FYI, I would also be interested in writing something related to this proposal from a research perspective if there are others who would like to do the same.
Please do not share this with others before 22nd of April when this becomes public.
Niina
________________________________
From: Niina Vuolajarvi <niina.vuolajarvi(a)gmail.com>
Sent: 14 April 2025 11:37
To: Vuolajarvi,N <N.Vuolajarvi(a)lse.ac.uk>
Subject: Re: Sign our statement!
to 10.4.2025 klo 10.15 Red Umbrella Sweden (info(a)redumbrella.se<mailto:info@redumbrella.se>) kirjoitti:
Dear allies!
I hope this message finds you well. I'm reaching out to ask for your support in challenging a deeply concerning legislative development in Sweden.
The Swedish government has proposed an expansion of its criminalisation framework on sex work to include the purchase of sexual acts performed remotely, such as webcamming and erotic content creation. This would significantly broaden the scope of criminal liability and introduce new harms to sex workers, particularly those who operate online. We were contacted by our national member organisation, Red Umbrella Sweden who asked our support in raising awareness and fight against this proposal. The proposed law will be voted on May 20th.
We have prepared a public sign-on statement <https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fUS9cNXNkxNLArtYPDlIn4_97mIwMzkfLsGsTyG…> (please keep this confidential for the time-being and do not share with others) urging the government to reject this proposal. We would appreciate if your organisation would add your name in support.
Why it matters?
This proposal, while framed as a protective measure, would in fact:
- Criminalise consensual digital labour and remove one of the safest, most autonomous income sources available to many sex workers.
- Exacerbate the harms of client criminalisation, which is already shown by global research to increase stigma, decrease safety, and limit access to justice for sex workers.
- Expand state surveillance, threatening privacy and digital rights for sex workers, clients, and platforms alike.
- Introduce vague and overbroad legal language that risks criminalising consensual relationships and undermines legal clarity.
- Threaten Sweden's constitutional protections on freedom of expression.
As the statement outlines, we are calling on the Swedish government to:
- Withdraw the proposal in its current form
- Engage directly with sex workers and digital rights experts
- Protect digital safety and income rights of workers
- Invest in services, not criminalisation
We believe this is a critical moment to stand in solidarity with sex workers, defend digital rights, and push back against carceral approaches that harm the very people they claim to protect.
If your organisation would like to sign on, please reply to this email with:
- The name of your organisation
- The name and role of a signatory contact person (for transparency only, not for publication)
Alternatively, you can add your support via this form: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fUS9cNXNkxNLArtYPDlIn4_97mIwMzkfLsGsTyG…<https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fUS9cNXNkxNLArtYPDlIn4_97mIwMzkfLsGsTyG…>
We aim to publish the statement on April 22, so we kindly ask for responses by then. We will keep the statement open for signatures after this date also, however we would like to have some support already shown when we first launch the campaign.
What else you can do to help?
- It would be great if you have contacts in Sweden - policymakers, trusted journalists or civil society organisations - that are pro sex workers' rights, please put us in touch with.
Thank you for your continued commitment to human rights and justice.
/Kira Stellar and ESWA
Red Umbrella Sweden
________________________________
https://linktr.ee/RedUmbrellaSweden
--
Niina Vuolajarvi PhD
Assistant Professor in International Migration
London School of Economics and Political Science
Tel. +44 7587515167 (UK) / +1-631-746-1716 (US) / +358-44-554-3323 (Europe)
Website: https://vuolajarvi.weebly.com/
Pronouns: she, her, hers
Vuolajärvi, N. (2023) "The Discipline of Hope. Abolishing the Prison of Immobility in Post-Deportation Narratives." <https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1369183X.2023.2222916> Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies.
Vuolajärvi, N. (2019) "Governing in the Name of Caring: Nordic Model of Prostitution and Its Punitive Consequences for Migrants Who Sell Sex." <https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13178-018-0338-9> Sexuality Research and Social Policy.
Vuolajärvi, N. (2018) "Precarious Intimacies: Europeanized Border Regime and Migrant Sex Work." <https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1369183X.2018.1430558?journalCo…> Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies.
Dear all,
We meet Tuesday next week between 10-12 am to discuss the challenges of doing research in a highly politicized field - and how we can turn these challenges into advantages. See below for link.
To stimulate the discussion, please have a look at Isabelles recent article on Stigma Engagement Strategy, her panel proposal, and pages 53-54 and 117-124 in my thesis. See below for PDFs and outline.
Please also prepare a short presentation (3 minutes) on your own thoughts on the subject. Also, if you have published on the matter, do send it to all of us.
We will also allow time for Anna to update us on the latest development at Södertörn.
Cheers
Petra & Isabelle
ZOOM LINK:
https://mau-se.zoom.us/j/68887405771?from=addon <https://mau-se.zoom.us/j/68887405771?from=addon>
PDFs:
Panel Proposal: “Methodological Challenges and Stigma by Proxy: Researching Sex Work in Repressive Policy Contexts”
Abstract:
This panel critically examines the methodological challenges, ethical dilemmas, and epistemological implications of researching sex work in contexts with repressive prostitution policies, such as Sweden. By centering the lived experiences of researchers and participants, we highlight how structural injustices, legal frameworks, and societal stigmas shape the research process. A recurring theme is the phenomenon of “stigma by proxy,” where researchers are indirectly stigmatized or face institutional barriers due to their engagement with marginalized communities. This panel brings together scholars from diverse disciplinary backgrounds to explore the intersection of methodological challenges and the political stakes of knowledge production on sex work.
Proposed Themes and Objectives:
1. Methodological Challenges:
• Navigating access to criminalized or marginalized populations in contexts of criminalized sex work.
• Ethical dilemmas in ensuring participant safety, consent, and anonymity.
• Balancing advocacy with scholarly objectivity in politically charged environments.
2. Implications for Knowledge Production:
• The impact of repressive prostitution policies on the availability and reliability of data.
• The role of cultural and legal narratives in shaping research findings and dissemination.
• Addressing gaps and biases in existing scholarship on sex work and injustice.
3. Stigma by Proxy:
• Researchers’ experiences of institutional skepticism, funding barriers, or professional ostracism due to their work.
• Strategies for managing stigma and negotiating credibility in the academic and policy realms.
Panel Chair and Format:
The panel will be chaired by [Insert Name], who has extensive experience in sex work research. The session will include a moderated discussion to foster dialogue between panelists and the audience, focusing on strategies for overcoming research barriers.
Significance:
This panel will contribute to critical discussions about the intersections of law, stigma, and methodology in sex work research. It aims to bridge the gap between scholarly inquiry and advocacy, fostering a more inclusive and ethical approach to studying marginalized communities.
Dears,
the rektor of Södertorn University has received a letter form Childx organization complaining about the title of the conference I am organizing in May. They attack the use of sex work as contributing to harms of women selling sex.
This is a citation form the letter:
Begreppet sex worker (sexarbetare) har etablerats av sexindustrin och senare fått fäste inom vissa akademiska och aktivistiska kretsar, och är en term som rymmer normativa implikationer. Termen kan ge intrycket av att prostitution är ett arbete jämställt med andra yrken, trots att svensk lag och policy – genom sexköpslagen och den abolitionistiska hållningen – tydligt markerar att prostitution inte ska betraktas som legitimt arbete utan som en form av exploatering och våld.
My supervisor supports me but I have to prepare a very well formulated response. You have definitely more knowledge about how the Swedish context work, do you have any ideas how to best address it?
Best
Anna
Good morning, everyone!
I would like to follow up on the option of having our meeting at RFSL
Stockholm before the conference, which takes place on May 15-16.
Looking at our booking calendar, I see that all spaces are occupied on
Wednesday, May 14, until 20:00. However, Tuesday is fully available
throughout the day. That said, I’m not sure how many of you traveling to
Stockholm will arrive two days before the conference.
It would also be helpful to know who will be attending in person and
whether some participants would prefer to join the pre-conference meeting
online.
--
Ines Anttila
Sociologist / MSc Gender Studies
LinkedIn: Ines Anttila
ThesisLundUniversity(2023):SexforCompensationandWomenwithAsylumandTransgenderExperiencesinSweden
<https://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/search/publication/9126774>
Dear all,
Wednesday the 22nd of January (at 12) we will meet on zoom to discuss FOSME-attendance at the conference in May, and FOSME-plans for Spring.
I attach three abstracts and one panel proposal. Great if you have time to read before the meeting so that we can give the authors constructive feedback.
See you Wednesday!
Best regards
Lotta
Dear All,
Maybe you would be interested in the I am organizing next week in Oslo. It is about legal mobilizations in the context of abortion and sex work.
All the best
Anna
An in person research seminar "The Possibilities and Pitfalls of Using Legal Strategies for Rights Movements."
Date: 14.02.2025 📍 Location: Department of Criminology and Sociology of Law (IKRS), Universitetet i Oslo (UiO)
Description
Social movements are increasingly turning to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) when national forums ignore their claims. This open seminar will discuss recent examples of such cases in the area of gender and sexuality, providing empirical and theoretical insights into the strategic use of the law.
Speakers
* Agnieszka Kubal, Centre for Socio-Legal Studies, University of Oxford, UK
* Marjan Wijers, independent researcher & consultant, member of the Board of SekswerkExpertise
* Karolina Kocemba, University of Wrocław, Poland
* Anna Ratecka, Södertörn University, Sweden
* May-Len Skilbrei, University of Oslo
* My Rafstedt, University of Oslo
This seminar is open to everyone. Due to lunch reservations, we ask that you register by 7 February
More details: https://www.jus.uio.no/ikrs/english/research/events/guest-lectures-and-semi…
Registration link: https://nettskjema.no/a/479892#/page/1
ANNA RATECKA POSTDOC
School of Social Work
SÖDERTÖRN UNIVERSITY | STOCKHOLM
Alfred Nobels Allé 7, Flemingsberg
141 89 Huddinge
08 608 40 00
sh.se
[cid:43fa9a4b-902d-4cb8-a894-8b639f6a56e4]
