Breaking Myths, Building Truth
Titled “Sex Workers Countering Disinformation in North Macedonia,” the project aimed to challenge false narratives and online stigma through a sharp, emotionally resonant video campaign. Five short videos, created with and by members of the sex worker community, were released across Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, tackling some of the most harmful stereotypes with honesty and power.
Grounded in lived experience and shaped through community co-creation, the campaign went beyond debunking—it reclaimed the right to dignity and truth.
“Freedom of choice is a fundamental right of every individual. Before you judge, check the facts.”
— Campaign message
At its core, the project recognized sex workers not just as subjects of harmful content, but as key actors in producing counter-narratives—empowered to educate, correct, and lead.
Strategy Meets Empowerment
To maximize the campaign’s reach and sustainability, STAR-STAR developed a Video Campaign Marketing Strategy - a structured plan for identifying, addressing, and responding to disinformation. This not only improved internal capacities but laid the groundwork for future initiatives in the digital advocacy space.
Key activities included:
Creation of a strategic marketing plan to guide messaging and boost resilience
Production of 5 short, high-impact videos targeting digital platforms
A boosted social media campaign reaching both general and hard-to-reach audiences
The campaign directly engaged 40 sex workers and involved over 5 team members and 10 community contributors in designing strategy and content. Together, they sparked powerful conversations and challenged deep-rooted bias.
Community-Led, Audience-Focused
With an estimated 285,000+ indirect viewers reached via paid and organic digital outreach, the campaign prioritized strategic audience targeting - especially those with previously held negative perceptions, such as members of conservative, religious, or anti-gender groups.
The initiative also helped build up the internal capacity of STAR-STAR’s team and participating sex workers, many of whom had never been involved in public-facing digital advocacy before.
From Local Voices to Global Relevance
This Local Action is more than a communications effort; it’s a statement. A declaration that sex workers, particularly transgender and female, are not voiceless; they are powerful advocates for truth in digital spaces.
The project’s strategic foundation, peer learning, and campaign toolkit now serve as a model for similar efforts in other countries and communities. The videos continue to be used in trainings, shared among partners, and contribute to a long-term shift in how sex work and gender diversity are represented online.
What’s Next?
STAR-STAR plans to:
Repurpose campaign materials for training sessions with CSOs, educators, and allies
Expand messaging to include intergenerational audiences like parents and teachers
Collaborate with regional partners to push for gender recognition and decriminalization reforms
This Local Action underscores a broader truth: digital resilience is strongest when it’s community-led, rooted in lived experience, and backed by networks of solidarity.
🎥 Watch the video testimonial from STAR-STAR's Nenad Micov and Borche Bozhinov to hear their perspective on how this project responded to a pressing social issue.
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Accept cookiesThis Local Action is part of the Digital Activism Accelerator coordinated by TechSoup and Partners, with support from Google.org, as a part of the broader Digital Activism Program.