Fany Lilian Torrez Rodriguez, 37, of Nicaragua has been a sex worker for 18 years. She says the job has given her good money and is "the best work I could have done."
Ilvy Njiokiktjien for CNN
Thierry Shaffauser, 36, displays his red umbrella tattoo, a symbol for sex workers' rights.
Ilvy Njiokiktjien for CNN
Maria De Lourdes Araujo, 76, of Barreto, Brazil, shows off her "I am a whore" tattoo. The sex work industry used to be filled with passion and glamour, she says, with dancing often used as a means of seduction. Today, the great-grandmother continues to see regular clients.
Ilvy Njiokiktjien for CNN
Cynthia Navarrete, 52, holds up a sign that says "Free Alejandra Gil," her mother, who she believes was unfairly arrested for trafficking. She works as a sex worker on the streets in Mexico City and says she likes it because she can choose when to work.
Ilvy Njiokiktjien for CNN
Natalia Isaieva, 40, was born in Russia and now lives in Ukraine. She started as a sex worker at the age of 16 and stopped four years ago. She now campaigns for better rights.
Ilvy Njiokiktjien for CNN
Maria Benta Melo Dos Santos, 45, of Brazil has been a sex worker for more than 26 years. The profession was a choice, she says, and she campaigns for it to be recognized as such.
