A Peruvian Sex Worker is Running for a Seat in Parliament and Here’s Why
Ángela Villón has been a sex worker and activist in Perú for the past 30 years.
#ENTREVISTA | Ángela Villón: “Incluso las trabajadoras sexuales tenemos pudor” https://t.co/XoAk1RbLzv pic.twitter.com/5Aa4h2cIMF
— Diario La República (@larepublica_pe) December 12, 2015
Credit: @larepublica_pe / Twitter
But, in April, Villón hopes to add legislator to her résumé.
Ángela Villón, la prostituta que busca ser legisladora de Perú. https://t.co/q2A9Y5xRtV pic.twitter.com/bxyftT4VGh
— Periódico Excélsior (@Excelsior) January 11, 2016
Ángela Villón, la prostituta que busca ser legisladora de Perú. https://t.co/q2A9Y5xRtV pic.twitter.com/bxyftT4VGh
— Periódico Excélsior (@Excelsior) January 11, 2016
Credit: @Excelsior / Twitter
That’s right. Villón wants to be a member of Parliament.
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You’re probably thinking:
In her time as a sex worker, she has been the victim of abuse from both clients and the police. Villón wants to pass legislation that would curb violence against women.
#Perú: Ángela Villón, la prostituta que busca ser legisladorahttps://t.co/Vo8ZnxVTOR pic.twitter.com/0KevMC4IQh
— Periódico Zócalo (@PeriodicoZocalo) January 11, 2016
Credit: @PeriodicoZocalo / Twitter
“I’m looking to combat violence against women through education, a violence that starts when we are girls and it gets worse as we grow up,” Villón said about why she is running. “In the case of prostitutes, it’s unimaginable. The politicians aren’t interested.”
She is hoping to be a beacon of hope for Peruvian women who are being abused by their husbands or clients.
Ángela Villón Bustamante: Las mujeres luchan TODA la vida https://t.co/vcwmVY5tGF pic.twitter.com/tldQLuPb8p
— Javier Izquierdo (@Jav_Izquierdo) December 24, 2015
Credit: @Jav_Izquierdo / Twitter
Villón is the founder of Miluska, Vida y Dignidad, Perú’s first organization fighting for sex workers who are the victims of abuse. According to the Associated Press, 95 women in Perú were killed by their partners last year, while another 186 suffered attacks by knives, guns, beatings, and strangulation.
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Will she win? Only time will tell, but it’s clear that Villón is serious about changing the culture of violence against women in Perú.
Ángela Villón: Del prostíbulo al Congreso https://t.co/6PNicnylID pic.twitter.com/7hQn9oK8DK
— Diario La República (@larepublica_pe) December 6, 2015
Credit: @larepublica_pe / Twitter
#yougogirl
(H/T: AJ+)
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