Health Monitoring and Evaluation Framework for the Decriminalisation of Sex Work

In February 2022, the Victorian Parliament passed the Sex Work Decriminalisation Bill 2021 which will lead to the staged repeal of the Sex Work Act 1994 and ensure most forms of sex work are regulated within existing regulatory frameworks, such as WorkSafe Victoria and the Department of Health.  The decriminalisation of sex work in Victoria occurs in two stages to allow time to transition to a different model of regulation. The first stage commenced in May 2022 and the second stage commenced in December 2023.

The Victorian Department of Health has commissioned the Centre for Social Research in Health (CSRH) at UNSW Sydney to develop the Health Monitoring and Evaluation Framework for the Decriminalisation of Sex Work. The evaluation commenced in June 2022 and runs until June 2027.

The evaluation has been designed to address the key evaluation questions:

1. What are the impacts of decriminalisation on sex worker health and well-being over time?
2. What are the impacts of associated health initiatives, including peer education and peer-led service provision, on sex worker health and well-being over time?
3. What are the continuing gaps in service provision and access?
4. What can be learnt from decriminalisation in Victoria? What worked, what didn’t work, and why?