French Sex Workers Appeal to Macron for Help Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Federation Parapluie Rouge, France's trade union for sex workers, has called upon President Emmanuel Macron to provide sex workers with financial aid as they struggle from a drastic reduction in clients following the lockdown in the country.

"If the sex workers adhere to the lockdown, it becomes impossible for them to work and, therefore, impossible to pay their rent. If the sex workers were deprived of their income overnight, it’s necessary to allocate aid for them to survive in decent conditions and meet their primary demands, such as food and hygiene products. It’s necessary then to set, at least for the lockdown period, a minimum revenue", the union said in a statement addressed to the president.

The federation also urged the authorities to waive any fines for workers who do not follow lockdown measures. The union also called for more protection for sex workers from violence and ensured access to medical equipment.

France has been on complete lockdown since 17 March. As of Monday, the COVID-19 case count in the country has surpassed 93,000, the fourth-highest figure in Europe after Spain, Italy and Germany. Of these, over 8,000 patients have died and more than 16,000 people have recovered.