AUTHOR=Panizoni Estefania , Esandi María Eugenia , Zalazar Virginia , Aristegui Ines , Argüello Agustina , Cardozo Nadir , Orellano Georgina , Romero Marcela , Loutfy Mona , Walmsley Sharon , Fink Valeria , Duran Adriana , Ortiz Zulma ,  MAS por Nosotras Study Group , Durán Adriana , Wamsley Sharon , Fink Valeria , Aristegui Inés , Georgina Orellano Marcela Romero , Esandi Eugenia , Zalazar Virginia , Macarena Sandoval María , Cardozo Nadir , Argüello Agustina , Loufty Mona , Vulcano Silvina , Pérez Carolina , Gun Ana , Frontini Emilia , Zeltman Ana , Serrao Camila , Caballero Romina , Panizoni Estefania , Celia Trejo Maria , Acuña Rodrigo , Duarte Mariana , Fabian Solange , Exner Ariadna , Cahn Susana , Fiore Debora , Gadea Florencia , Isaurralde Rocío , Álvarez Valeria , Fojo Emanuel , Ylarri Julián , Mariani Javier , Mernies Gissella , Ceschel Mariela , Nava Agustín , Cetrángolo Oscar , Goldsmith Ariela , Valeriano Cecilia , González Amelia , Corera Adriana , Raffo Gabriela Paz , Alvarez Ana Inés , García Jonathan , Parera Daniela , Iannantuono María Victoria , García Julián , Spadaccini Luciana , Ludvik Herman , Bilbao Felipe , Cesar Carina , Cahn Florencia , Ryan Carmen , Cahn Leandro , Lucas Mar , Cahn Pedro , Ortiz Zulma , Figueroa María Inés  

TITLE=Stakeholder mapping: advancing research on sexual and reproductive health policies and income protection for cisgender and transgender female sex workers in Buenos Aires, Argentina

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 13 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1655388

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2025.1655388

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=IntroductionIn the initial steps towards the development of an implementation project aimed to support sexual and reproductive health (SRH) policies and income protection for cisgender and transgender sex workers in the Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (CABA), we employed stakeholder mapping. This is a crucial tool in health policy and systems and research to identify, categorize, and characterize key stakeholders involved in policy planning and implementation.MethodsProspective stakeholder mapping was conducted between February and September 2023 through a series of internal meetings and consultations with relevant community organizations to identify key stakeholders involved in SRH of female sex workers (FSWs) in CABA. The stakeholder mapping included three stages: 1. Identification and categorization of stakeholders using primary and secondary sources; 2. Analysis of stakeholder knowledge, level of agreement/interest, and level of influence/power; and 3. Characterization of stakeholder positioning. The absolute and relative frequencies of key stakeholders were estimated, and the average values of knowledge, power/influence, and interest/agreement were calculated for each category. The results were represented in a matrix identifying six types of positions (promoter, supporter, neutral, observer, high-risk blocker, low-risk blocker).ResultsA total of 147 key actors were identified across sectors, including government, civil society, academia, abolitionist community organizations, health services, media and national and jurisdictional governments. Only four categories had detailed knowledge of the SRH situation and policies focused on FSWs. The stakeholders were categorized as 16% as promoters, 68% as supporters, 10% as blockers, 3% as observers, and 3% as neutral. Among promoters, national and jurisdictional governments stood out, while the supporters included the FSWs and the civil society organizations representing them, who also actively participated in the mapping process. Blockers mainly included abolitionist community organizations and security forces.DiscussionStakeholder mapping proved to be a valuable tool for understanding the political landscape while ethically centering the voices of FSWs. The findings support the development of inclusive, context-sensitive policies and provide a replicable methodology for similar initiatives in other socio-political contexts.