![Council of Europe | J Mac](https://ifp.nyu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/hrc-sex-workers-2024-870x489-1.jpg)
Council of Europe | J Mac
The lived realities of sex workers across Europe raise serious human rights concerns. It is crucial to approach this important and complex issue with a full understanding of the human rights consequences of the experience of high levels of violence and inadequate protection from law enforcement and the justice system; stigma; and multiple layers of discrimination that result in isolation and limited access to essential services, including housing and healthcare. All these factors pave the way for a persistent culture of impunity for crimes committed against sex workers, which in turn leads to even more violence.