Outreach group to test app aimed at keeping sex workers safe

[Verum]

Not sure why this hasn't made it to Castanet's pages, but this seems like a good idea. It is clear that we could be doing a lot more to keep these women safe. Personally, I feel we need to legalise sex work and provide a legal framework designed to keep everyone safe and reduce the harm being done.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/kelowna-outreach-group-to-test-app-aimed-at-keeping-sex-workers-safe-1.4392880

[Fancy]

It did early this morning:
https://www.castanet.net/edition/news-s ... htm#211017

Tensions remain high among Vernon's sex trade workers following last week's revelation that former sex trade worker Traci Genereaux's remains had been found at a Shuswap farm.

But a new telephone app that has been offered to them free of charge could be a life saver.

Angie Lohr, with Helping Out People Exploited, said Kelowna-based yodelME is offering the app to women who have high-risk lifestyles.

HOPE works with women on a street level through nighttime outreach.

[Verum]

It did early this morning:
https://www.castanet.net/edition/news-s ... htm#211017

Thanks! I missed that as it was filed under Veron and not Kelowna.

[artistwithaflare]

Good idea if they own a iphone?
As someone who has worked in Outreach for yrs., I know that most john's/pimps have a cell phone but a lot of the sex workers themselves do NOT even have a cell phone. They are controlled by the john/pimp so, yes any protection is a good idea.

[Verum]

Good idea if they own a iphone?
As someone who has worked in Outreach for yrs., I know that most john's have a cell phone but a lot of the sex workers themselves do NOT even have a cell phone. They are controlled by the john, dropped off by the john and picked up by the john. The total profits from this new App goes too?

Are you confusing john with pimp? The john is the client, the pimp is often a controlling, abusive jerk who preys on vulnerable women. I am sure that some johns are worse, since they include serial killers and others who will horribly abuse the prostitute.

I don't know much about the sex trade in Kelowna, but I believe that in a population that somewhere between 0.01% and 0.1% of women are working as prostitutes (between 20 and 200 in Kelowna). Since prostitution is a career with a shelf-life for most, that means that far larger numbers will work as prostitutes at some point in their lives. That is a huge number of women and we need to do something to support them. This attempt is a small one, but it should be lauded. We need to do far more to protect these women, but some people insist on pushing their own morality onto the situation, preventing a programme which would provide a non-judgemental legal and protective framework for these women to work with. Such would allow them to earn money, with some modicum of safety and dignity, and won't continue to keep the whole industry underground and controlled by organised crime, with terrible working conditions, a complete lack of safety and with minimal real legal protection.

[spooker]

The total profits from this new App goes too?

It sounded like the app was being donated to the participants (based on the report I saw on CHBC last night) ... the company sells this app through regular channels to other businesses and I would think they'd be working with Outreach in a philanthropic manner ... but then again I like to wear rose-coloured glasses at times so I can't say for certain ...

If the program works I could see them applying for some health funds through grants to support the new usage ...