Sex workers are facing abuse, violence, exploitation and GBV

Sex workers are facing abuse, violence and other forms of exploitation which may be economic and gender-based violence (GBV) in nature.

This was revealed during a dialogue with the deputy minister of social development, Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu, on Monday as sex workers from Limpopo expressed concerns about issues affecting their work on a daily basis. 

The dialogue took place as part of the 16 Days of No Violence against Women and Children campaign under the theme, “The Year of Mannya Maxeke — 16 Day of Activism — Moving from Awareness to Accountability”.  

“Sex work was criminalised in terms of the Sexual Offences Act of 1957. Clients have to pay lots of money in the form of bribery to appease those who arrest them and even social workers,” said Conny Buthelezi, from the Sisonke National Sex Worker Movement in SA. 

“Law enforcement officers often demand money from sex workers and some of their rights are violated as they are arrested even when they go shopping and are not necessarily conducting their sex work business.”

The department said sex workers continue to be the subject of human rights violations, gender-based violence, ill-treatment by law enforcement officials and the public as well as severe cases of stigmatisation.

According to the department, these challenges were heightened by the outbreak of the coronavirus.

A sex worker from Limpopo, said she was raped and reported her case to the SA Police Service (SAPS). The woman complained that instead of the police arresting the rapist, members of the SAPS told her to find the person who raped her.

Another sex worker, who only identified herself as Ms Malema, told the audience that she was HIV positive and on antiretroviral treatment. She said she was detained without access to ARVs. “When I requested to be given ARVs, they promised to organise for me but I ended up surviving for three days without ARVs.”

Another woman, who also chose to remain anonymous, said she was a breadwinner and appealed to the government to protect them from abuse.

The woman advised fellow sex workers to try to save money generated from their work so their children and families can live better lives.

In response, Bogopane-Zulu indicated that sex workers' rights should be respected by all South Africans, especially members of the SAPS and healthcare workers.

“Similar to all workers, sex workers also have a right to healthcare, protection and recognition of their profession,” said Bogopane-Zulu.

She said she would continue to advocate for the protection of sex workers.

The department has called for the decriminalisation of sex work, as criminalisation poses a myriad of challenges against interventions designed for sex workers.

According to the department, criminalisation of the trade is intricately linked to ongoing human rights violations and inadequate access to social, justice and health services.

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