I am currently the Executive Director of Project X, the only rights-based sex worker organization in Singapore that provides social, legal, and emotional support for sex workers. We work to end all forms of stigma, discrimination, and violence against sex workers of all genders. We do this by conducting outreach, building and empowering communities, documenting human rights violations, and dispelling myths about sex work in Singapore. We envision a fair and safe sex industry for everyone involved and a society that respects sex workers, their clients, partners, and families.This is a full time position that I have held since 2011, and one that has provided me many valuable opportunities to meet and connect with sex workers in Singapore and around the world. I have grown the organization from a small group of volunteers to one where there are three paid staff and a team of over 60 volunteers. Correspondingly, I have increased the annual operating budget of the organization by ten fold. One of the highlights of my career was the creation of the Human Rights Defenders Program - a 16 session capacity building course that saw 10 current and former sex workers being trained in various skills such as digital storytelling, counselling skills, suicide intervention, project management, and financial literacy. Another key highlight for me was to facilitate meetings between sex workers and a Member of Parliament, who subsequently went on to represent their voices in parliament during a debate on the Massage Establishment Act and the Women's Charter Amendments 2019. I have written and spoken extensively about sex work, human trafficking, rape culture, and LGBTQ rights in Singapore. I hold the view that if people can speak about sex, gender and sexuality in open and in non-judgmental ways, society will become a safer place for everyone.Connect with me at vanessa@theprojectx.org