Strong Women Ending Exploitation Together *SWEET* is a newly founded grassroots movement in Calgary that provides peer support services for people who have exited or want to exit sexual exploitation. You may be long out of the industry and want to connect with other people who have moved forward as well yet still have parts of themselves that need to be shared, and can only be shared with people who understand. Even after all these years, there are issues, memories, thoughts and feelings that need to be discussed - cried and even laughed over. SWEET is here for people still involved in prostitution and want to connect for services that they can be connected to in the community. Referrals to resources and programs, conversations, support are available to people contemplating leaving the sex industry. SWEET will provide educational programs and workshops for people who are ready to leave the sex industry and move on with their lives, creating a new unique identity and lifestyle for themselves. These will be facilitated by people with lived experience - maybe this could be you! SWEET is peer led and peer driven. It is through connections with other people who share similar experiences that we can heal broken ones from the past. Group work is important and groups will be established as it allows people to create important connections to others - others who are trauma survivors who often feel disconnected from their family, friends, community and self, leading to isolation and feelings of always being on the outside looking in. Mental health and addictions is a huge area of concern for us leaving sexual exploitation and SWEET will support you in your recovery journey. Areas of our distressed mental health can include symptoms of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, and SWEET will support you in any decisions made in this regard.
