With the support of more than 500 members in different states across the country, the Coalición Laboral Puteril (CLaP) seeks formal recognition of sex work as a legitimate activity, with rights and access to social security.
In Yucatán, around 40 people have joined this organization, which seeks to raise awareness and dignify this historically stigmatized activity.
The CLaP’s central objective is for sex work to be legally recognized as employment in Mexico, which would allow those who practice it to access basic benefits, legal protection, decent working conditions, and a life free from violence.
The coalition also demands participation in the formulation of public policies that directly impact their sector, which is often invisible or criminalized.
Dafne Aguilar Martínez, the organization’s representative in the state, noted that among the main obstacles is the persistent confusion between sex work and human trafficking, which generates institutional rejection and limits the possibilities for formal dialogue. “If sex work is not recognized as such, it is treated as a crime or simply ignored,” she pointed out.
Although progress has been made in Mérida, such as the elimination of administrative sanctions against sex workers in certain municipal regulations, the national legal landscape remains restrictive.
Currently, the Federal Labor Law does not consider this activity legal, which prevents formal unionization. However, CLaP operates under Articles 354 and 355 of the aforementioned law to organize as a coalition.
The group is active in Mexico City, Yucatán, Campeche, and Quintana Roo, and maintains that fear of stigma is a constant barrier to more people joining the movement publicly. “There are those who create content, work on platforms, or provide direct services, but do not recognize themselves as sex workers out of fear or ignorance,” Aguilar explained.
Therefore, they also seek to establish transparent links with institutions such as Mexico´s Women Secretariat to open formal channels of dialogue and advance their demands without pretense.
TYT Newsroom
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