Sex workers raise challenges

The Centre for Positive Care joined by various stakeholders hosted a sensitisation workshop at a venue in the city on Friday to afford sex workers an opportunity to raise challenges they are faced with in their field of work. Among challenges raised were rape, bullying by the Police and unlawful arrests, verbal attacks at clinics for consulting more often, being robbed of their money and physical abuse.
Julia Sebola, Centre for Positive Care Capricorn site project manager, highlighted the purpose of the gathering as a platform for stakeholders to familiarise themselves with challenges experienced by sex workers and to understand reasons why one chose to sell sex in exchange for money. She stated that they were also trying to encourage sex workers to practice safe intercourse by using condoms. According to Sebola, there is a myth that sex workers sell drugs and rob their clients of valuables hence the workshop was intended to clear the air.
One of the sex workers, who spoke on a condition of anonymity to protect her identity, stated that they were being harassed by the Police and judged by the community for doing the work to feed their children. She further stressed that she was grateful for the support and services she has received from the centre. The supply of condoms by the centre makes their work safer, however, she was concerned that the police were only focusing more on arresting sex workers than persons who supply and sell drugs.
She justified her argument by stating that most mothers of abandoned children are drug abusers but the problem was those who supply them. She said babies were often dumped in garbage bins and cited that she herself has had to take such a baby to the place of safety. She stated that sex workers don’t do any harm to the society but drugs were the main cause of societal problems. She elaborated that government and the private sectors should step up and create more employment in order to bring about change in society. A Police representative in attendance at the workshop reportedly argued that as long as sex work was still criminalised, Police would do their job by arresting sex workers.
Sebola emphasised that the session went well and all members were satisfied with the participation and the amount of knowledge shared about sex work industry. She reiterated that sensitisation workshops would be conducted on a quarterly basis on different topics concerning the sex work industry. Sebola added that the aim was to ensure that all people are treated with equal respect regardless of their social, economic and educational status.

Story: ENDY SENYATSI
>>endy@observer.co.za