RESEARCH PARTNERS:

Project investigators:
Jacqueline Lewis, PhD, Department of Sociology & Anthropology, University of Windsor
Eleanor Maticka-Tyndale, PhD, Department of Sociology & Anthropology, University of Windsor
Frances Shaver, PhD, Department of Sociology & Anthropology, Concordia University

Collaborator:
Leigh West, LLB, MLB, Faculty of Law, University of Windsor

Community Partners:
Exotic Dancers Alliance of Ontario
Regional Municipality of Peel Health Department
Stella, Montreal

DESCRIPTION:
The overall goal of this project is to develop an understanding of the way public policies (e.g., health, social service, employment, policing, municipal regulations, federal law, immigration) impact on health, safety and well-being. The study uses occupations in the sex industry for this purpose. Sex work was chosen because:

1. A wide diversity of levels and types of policies affect the health, safety and well-being of sex workers.


2. A current and growing body of research and commentary is available on health and safety factors related to sex work.


3. There are community organizations with frontline experience dealing with health and safety factors related to sex work.

It is expected that the project will:

1. Develop methods to examine a diversity of public policies from the perspective of their impact on health, safety and well-being.


2. Provide in-depth information on how various policies influence health, safety and well-being in the sex industry.


3. Develop guidelines for the sex industry for maximizing health, safety and well-being.


4. Develop guidelines for policy to maximize health, safety and well-being in the sex industry.


5. Develop guidelines for those engaged in advocacy, community organizations and frontline workers.