Argentinian sex workers take to the walls

A series of Argentinian advertisements for sex workers’ rights has been making a small but well-deserved splash. Prostitution is legal in Argentina but brothels are not, and, without labor protections, sex workers are vulnerable to physical violence and economic exploitation.

Commissioned by the Argentinian sex workers’ union, Asociación de Mujeres Meretrices de Argentina, the wheat paste ads cover the corners of buildings. A view from one side displays a woman in a suggestive pose, but the full image reveals a family scene: a mother leading her kids home in their school gear, or a baby pushed in a stroller. The text reminds us that “86% of sex workers are mothers. We need a law to regulate our work.”

I worry about the use of maternity to justify the need for protection: we hear often enough already that a woman’s worth is wholly dependent on her ability and willingness to bear and mother children. Strategically, though, the Ogilvy & Mather-designed campaign is pretty brilliant. We’ll keep you updated on any developments the ads inspire.

Images via BuzzFeed.

More photos after the jump.