Hawai’i’s Feminist Economic Recovery Plan to harm Sex Workers
The Feminist Economic Recovery Plan for Covid-19
In April 2020, Hawaiʻi State Commission on the Status of Women directed by Khara Jabola-Carolus released the Feminist Economic Recovery Plan for Covid-19. Af3irm Hawaii has been a huge advocate for the plan with several members having contributed to it. Jabola-Carolus has been attempting for years now to enact anti-trafficking policies that sex workers know will harm us. I am concerned that Jabola-Carolus is attempting to backdoor these anti-trafficking programs and policies that are not explained fully in the Feminist Economic Recovery Plan. One of the stated goals is to “Enhance: Women, sexual and gender minorities’ access to capital outside the commercial sex industry through just, humane transition to support program” (9) and create “Special funds and infrastructure for high risk groups including: Sex trafficking survivors who have recently exited the commercial sex industry. Create sex trafficking coordinator for the State to address current crisis and anticipated sex trafficking increase after lockdown ends and during the recession.” (Ferp 10) These stated goals have been migrated from the “Sex Trafficking in Hawai’i” research papers and are likely key elements of this economic recovery plan for her.
It seems like Jabola-Carolus could be laying the foundation for a large anti-trafficking sting operation: “Sex trafficking personnel in our government and nongovernmental sectors are anticipating increased sex trafficking as a result of the pandemic and mass unemployment. There is an acute shortage in public interest lawyers, social workers and advocates, housing, and programming to assist victims. The Legislature should take immediate action to enact loan forgiveness for public interest lawyers, infuse funding into programs, and create a comprehensive campaign to address the violence” (FERP 15).
While sex workers are are acutely hurting economically due to Covid-19, it is important that programs designed to help us are created and advocated by sex workers. There is nothing to ensure that these “just, humane transition to support programs” will not be coerced at the threat of criminalization or police surveillance like Dominique Roe-Sepowitz’s other evidence based intervention programs. While support programs for sex workers could be helpful to us, they could also be extremely traumatizing if it is forced psychoeducation like Project Rose. Support programs for sex workers need to increase our agency, not remove our agency.
