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Sexual Rights e-News
Sexual Rights Centre
March 15, 2009

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Decriminalise sex work

African sex workers and organisations working with sex workers in Africa joined forces to call for the decriminalisation of sex work, respect for sex workers rights and an end to impunity for perpetrators of violence against sex workers.

This call was made by over 200 delegates who attended the first African sex workers 2009 Conference in February. The conference held in Johannesburg sort to create an Alliance that advocated for sex workers' rights. The main themes to be addressed are decriminalisation of adult sex work, documentation, monitoring and reporting human rights violations, recognition of sex work as work, free and friendly universal access to health care, building solidarity and mobilising sex workers and building the alliance ensuring participation, representation and leadership of sex workers at all levels within the Alliance.

During the conference, delegates from countries such as South Africa, Zambia, Uganda, Kenya, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Nigeria deliberated on issues ranging from change in legislation, to accommodation and safe housing, to police harassment, to the behaviour of clients, to 2010 and the alliance.

In her presentation during the conference, the Director for the Sexual Rights Centre talked about the different human rights violations that sex workers in Zimbabwe experience.

"Sex work is a crime in Zimbabwe. However, for many sex workers in Zimbabwe one of the main problems are minor pieces of legislation that are manipulated by the police and lead to many rights violations against sex workers that go unnoticed, unreported and undocumented. This legislation is misogynistic and discriminatory," she said.

Sex workers working with the Sexual Rights Centre said they are frequently arrested and illegally detained. They are forced to have sex with police officers to secure their release. Many NGOs in Zimbabwe view commercial sex work as a social and moral ill that must be addressed and abolished. This perspective increases stigmas and reduces commercial sex workers' access to facilities, information and resources.

The Sexual Rights Centre is the only organisation in Zimbabwe with a programme dedicated to working with commercial sex workers to advocate for their rights.

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