Project overview
The study focuses on the human rights situation of sex workers in Austria. Sex work is defined here as the exchange of sexual or erotic services between adults in return for financial compensation. In addition, the project uses the term ‘prostitution’, particularly in the legal analysis, as the relevant legislative texts employ this term.
The analysis is based on a human rights-based approach, specifically examining the existence and realisation of sex workers’ human rights in Austria. On the one hand, the legal and political framework is examined in relation to international and European human rights standards. On the other hand, the focus is on their implementation in practice and the lived realities of those engaged in sex work, including the social conditions under which this work takes place. Sex workers are a heterogeneous group that cannot be viewed as a single entity. Without claiming to be able to fully encompass this group, the aim is to take account of their diverse lived experiences.
The issues of sex work, human trafficking and the sexual exploitation of children and young people are often treated without distinction. This is detrimental both to those engaged in sex work and to those affected by human trafficking and sexual exploitation. A clear conceptual distinction between these topics is therefore a prerequisite for any serious academic investigation. However, their close interconnection in practice and in public debate is not ignored. Human trafficking and the sexual exploitation of minors are therefore integral parts of the research project.
Background
This research project focuses on the field of sex work, an area that is socially, politically and academically complex, yet one for which there is little empirical research. An additional challenge for academic investigation is the strong moral connotations associated with the topic, in which personal
values often carry greater weight than empirical findings. The most comprehensive study on this subject to date for Austria was conducted by Helga Amesberger (2014) and dates back more than ten years.
Since then, the key contextual conditions have changed fundamentally: the economic situation, the increasing shift of the activity into the digital sphere and onto platforms, and the aftermath of the measures taken during the COVID-19 pandemic. Added to this are recent cuts in social services. There is as yet very little research available on areas such as male or queer sex work.
A human rights analysis of this subject area is still pending for Austria. The legal situation is complex and inconsistent, as both the federal government and the federal states have jurisdiction, which makes it difficult for sex workers to classify their work: The regulations range from a de facto ban (Vorarlberg) to comparatively less restrictive provisions (Lower Austria). Added to this are restrictive residence and employment regulations affecting the majority of sex workers, as well as discrimination on several levels, for example in employment law, working conditions, the health sector and protection against violence.
Objectives and Methodology
The project analyses the legal and political framework governing sex work in Austria, examines its implementation and impact on the everyday lives of those affected, and derives human rights-based recommendations for action aimed at shaping non-discriminatory policies and legislation.
An interdisciplinary approach, combining perspectives from sociology, political science, law and history, makes it possible to examine structural,
(human) rights-related and societal conditions collectively. An intersectional perspective also guides the research: experiences in sex work are shaped by the interplay of factors such as class, migration status, gender and experiences of racism.
Sex workers possess extensive expertise regarding the effects of legal regulations on their work. The project incorporates this perspective through narrative interviews and also intends to carry out sub-studies in collaboration with self-advocacy organisations.
The benchmark for the legal analysis is internationally recognised human rights and European human rights, in particular the principle of non-discrimination; the yardstick for assessing the impact of the legal system is the extent to which it realises and strengthens the human rights of sex workers. In order to complement the legal analysis with the practical perspective and the lived realities of those affected, a qualitative, exploratory approach has been adopted, based, amongst other things, on literature reviews and interviews. The study covers the whole of Austria.
The following research questions are examined:
- Is the legal/political situation of sex workers in line with international and European human rights standards?
- How is prostitution/sex work regulated legally and politically in Austria?
- What are the different legal situations regarding sex work in the nine Austrian federal states?
- How do current societal developments affect the lived realities of sex workers?
- What measures should be taken to effectively uphold the human rights of sex workers in Austria?
Project framework
Project duration: 01/2026 – 07/2027