Wednesday, January 27, 2021
  • About Us
  • ImagiNATION
  • Adverts
  • Rate Card
  • Contact Us
The Nation Online
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Life & Style
    • Every Woman
      • Soul
      • Family
    • Religion
    • Feature
  • Society
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Chichewa
  • Enation
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Life & Style
    • Every Woman
      • Soul
      • Family
    • Religion
    • Feature
  • Society
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Chichewa
  • Enation
No Result
View All Result
No Result
View All Result
Home Society Lifting The Lid On Hiv And Aids

Legalising sex work

by Johnny Kasalika
29/12/2012
in Lifting The Lid On Hiv And Aids
2 min read
0
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on WhatsAppShare on LinkedinLinkedinShare via Email

I have had ‘interactions’ with female sex workers, mostly hostile ones, in toilets of bars and dance floors of nightclubs where they want to exert their authority, to let me know that ‘this’ is their territory.

RelatedHeadlines

Coronavirus and HIV

Covid-19 and HIV

Are covid-19 vaccines safe for people living with HIV?

I admit I have often considered myself far superior to them, looked down upon them, but now I realise I cannot pass judgement for I know nothing about the reasons why they choose this occupation. 

Who knows, some of them dream to get some money some day and start a small business. And I certainly know a few who have been lucky enough to score the right man! I also realise that their arrogant disposition is more for their safety (from other sex workers, clients, police) and to ward off competition.

Sex work is a very dangerous occupation. There are risks of violence, arrest, and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV and Aids.

Counting the Uncatchables, a study by Family Planning Association of Malawi in 2011, reports 20 000 sex workers in Malawi. They found that sex workers experience violence and abuse. Physical violence was ranked the highest abusive experience by 50 percent of the women followed by rape, emotional abuse and arbitrary arrests.

Sex workers around the world say the greatest threat to their health and human rights is the law that makes it impossible to find safe places to work and prevents them from having the same protections as other workers and other citizens.

Last year, 14 prostitutes in Malawi, who were arrested and forcibly tested for HIV against their consent, sued the government for ‘unfair action and violating their privacy’.

Advocates for sex workers are lobbying for equal rights for sex workers, improving sex workers’ access to antiretroviral therapy, community-empowerment programmes, peer education, condom distribution and more accessible clinical services for sexually transmitted infections.

So, I was really happy to read reports in November that sex workers in Malawi have formed an alliance. Regardless of their occupation, they should not be relegated to second-class citizens. Hopefully, this alliance will advocate for better prevention and care services for these women (and maybe men?).

I came across a touching photographic depiction of the everyday lives of sex workers, by day—women who wear their chintenjes, cook, clean and care for their children and at night dress in the skimpy clothes to make money for themselves and their families.

Sex work is illegal in Malawi, but it is widespread and laws prohibiting it are rarely enforced. If we were to legalise it, would it reduce HIV and Aids?

Previous Post

Bingu: the man whose death left more questions

Next Post

Pamajiga actor Suluma dies

Related Posts

Lifting The Lid On Hiv And Aids

Coronavirus and HIV

January 23, 2021
Lifting The Lid On Hiv And Aids

Covid-19 and HIV

January 9, 2021
Lifting The Lid On Hiv And Aids

Are covid-19 vaccines safe for people living with HIV?

December 26, 2020
Next Post

Pamajiga actor Suluma dies

Trending Stories

  • Mlusu presents the budget in this file photo

    Budget off rails

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • SA returnees in forced quarantine

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Tonse faulted on former presidents’ benefits

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Spread hope not fear

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Govt increases Covid-19 testing sites

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Opinions and Columns

My Turn

Behaviour change key in Covid-19 fight

January 25, 2021
Emily Mkamanga

Citizens power brings change

January 24, 2021
Search Within

The rural farmer needs to take centre stage

January 24, 2021
My Thought

Spread hope not fear

January 24, 2021
  • Values
  • Our Philosophy
  • Editorial policy
  • Advertising Policy
  • Code of Conduct
  • Plagiarism disclaimer
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use

© 2021 Nation Publications Limited. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Life & Style
    • Every Woman
      • Soul
      • Family
    • Religion
    • Feature
  • Society
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Chichewa
  • Enation

© 2020 Nation Publications Limited. All Rights Reserved.

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.