Breaking through the Webs of Epistemic Injustice: Case Study on Butterfly's Epistemic Resistance

Background and Purpose:

Asian female migrant sex workers in Canada face systemic discrimination rooted in intersecting structures of race, gender, immigration status, and labor stigmatization. These layered oppressions render them vulnerable to exploitation, surveillance, and social exclusion, while limiting their access to justice and support. This study investigates how the community organization Butterfly: Asian and Migrant Sex Workers Support Network addresses the epistemic injustices and intersectional marginalization experienced by Asian female migrant sex workers. Guided by the frameworks of epistemic injustice, Asian feminism and intersectionality, the study explores how Butterfly supports sex workers in resisting systemic silencing and asserting their agency. The research seeks to answer: How does Butterfly facilitate resistance among Asian female migrant sex workers against intersectional and epistemic oppression in Canada?

Methods:

This qualitative study uses a case study design, drawing data from a comprehensive review of Butterfly’s public programs, organizational reports, campaign materials, and secondary academic and grey literature. A purposive sampling approach guided the selection of documents most relevant to Butterfly’s advocacy and support work with Asian migrant sex workers. Thematic analysis was conducted to identify recurring themes related to structural barriers, community responses, and empowerment strategies. Harro’s Cycles of Socialization and Liberation frameworks are used to interpret the findings and develop a conceptual framework.

Results:

Findings indicate that Asian female migrant sex workers face multiple barriers, including criminalization, immigration-related precarity, racialized stigma, and systemic silencing of their voices in policy and service sectors. Butterfly’s approach, which includes peer-led support, advocacy, public education, and legal interventions, significantly contributes to the empowerment, credibility, and collective voice of sex workers. The organization’s trauma-informed, culturally grounded practices foster solidarity and resistance. The study introduces a new conceptual model, the Cycles of Oppression and Resistance, to map the transformation from marginalization to empowerment through community-based support.

Conclusions and Implications:

This study underscores the critical role of grassroots, community-led organizations in challenging epistemic and intersectional injustice. Butterfly’s work demonstrates how community-centered, trauma-informed, and relation-based approaches can dismantle systemic barriers and promote collective empowerment. The Cycles of Oppression and Resistance model offers a practical and theoretical contribution to social work by mapping out ways to support marginalized populations providing hermenutic resources and channels for testimony exchange. Future research and practice could center the lived experiences and expertise of sex workers, and advocate for decriminalization, migrant justice, and inclusive policymaking.