Marchers call for sex work to be decriminalised
SEVERAL non-governmental organisations held a Sex Workers Pride event yesterday, calling for the decriminalisation of sex work and to give sex workers the opportunity to receive Covid-19 vaccines.
Advocacy groups the Sex Workers Education and Advocacy Taskforce (Sweat), Sisonke National Sex Workers Movement and the Asijiki Coalition, supported by several others, marched to the Mowbray police station yesterday to hand over a memorandum of demands calling for the decriminalisation of sex work.
The groups then proceeded to the Blackpool Sports Complex, where tents were erected in which to provide support, counselling and resources to sex workers. Health MEC Nomafrench Mbombo, who was at the event, was sympathetic to their cause.
“It's crucial to understand that as a health department, we leave no one behind. If you are a health-care worker and you still discriminate against anybody, it means that you don't belong in health,” said Mbombo.
Sex workers were discriminated against generally and stigmatised because of their profession, Mbombo said. This resulted in a lack of access to key health services and social services.
“Even before Covid-19, we have seen the issue of their treatment. ARVs (antiretroviral drugs) would be confiscated, whilst they are being jailed.
“So when they’re saying that they need to decriminalise sex work, it’s about the issue of human rights,” said Mbombo.
“This kind of work does not allow for social distancing, so to be protected, they need to get jabbed.”
Sweat’s Anitha Andreas said everyone and not just sex workers were at high risk of contracting Covid-19.
“Saying that sex workers are at a higher risk means we’re going to be stigmatising sex work. Everyone is at high risk of getting Covid-19 so it's best that we get vaccinated so that if the infection comes, your body can know how to fight it,” said Andreas.
National co-ordinator of the Asijiki Coalition, Constance Mathe said the Sex Workers Pride event was all about visibility.
“The Sex Workers Pride is a day when sex workers need to come out and be visible so that the people in the community can understand that sex workers are there,” Mathe said.
“Sex workers are living in our community. People need to know that these are mothers, fathers – human beings we are talking about.”