Our Story
Project Respect is a support service for women in the s*x industry. A caring, non-judgemental community, we are open to all women in the industry.
Our Vision
Project Respect’s vision is a world where women are free from trafficking, s*xual exploitation, violence and harm.
Our Mission
Project Respect’s primary mission is to support women in the s*x industry and women trafficked and advocate for the structural change needed to end all forms of s*xual exploitation.
We provide a platform to elevate and amplify the voices of, while also being informed and guided by, women with past and present lived experience.
To support women, Project Respect works in three ways:
One, we assist women one-on-one and help them access essential services - such as healthcare and legal representation. We support women in making police reports, gaining child custody, even applying for jobs in a new industry. While many community organisations become targeted, offering just one service, Project Respect remains broad. Led entirely by the needs of women, we place no limits on the length or type of support offered. At the centre of our support work is regular outreach, where we visit brothels in Victoria. We do this so women know we are available to them - without judgement - should they need us.
We also connect women together, supporting them to support one another, in their shared experiences. Intense stigma around the s*x industry means it can be isolating. Through community lunches and weekends away we nurture a safe, non-judgemental and supportive network. For many women, Project Respect is simply and powerfully about belonging. It their place to be. Outside the mainstream, in these rare spaces, women are understood, welcomed, and finally treated with respect.
Lastly, we advocate for women’s rights against violence, trafficking and exploitation. To improve life for women in the s*x industry, we must improve the status of women overall. That’s why we work directly with all levels of government, lobbying for broad policy change. We argue for better conditions for women while they are in the s*x industry. We argue against the trafficking of women. We help expose violence against women, and push for solutions to eradicate it. In all of this work, we ensure women’s voices are heard. We offer women a platform to write, speak and meet directly with decision makers. We know that their voices and leadership will create the positive change we seek.
At Project Respect, we believe that all women have the right to feel safe and respected. We are fundamentally for and about women - supporting their entire life and future potential. To achieve a world free from s*xual exploitation we are committed to doing what others can’t.
