African sex in africa

Selling sex has been illegal in South Africa since at least the early s and buying sex was criminalised in The criminalisation of sex work has not deterred people from selling sex to make a living. Criminalisation has, however, made sex work less safe. Most sex workers in South Africa are poor, black, and female, and sell sex primarily in order to support their children, as well as other dependents.

Skip to main content. Contact email:. Who do you work with? How are sex workers involved in your organisation? ASWA is committed to sex workers health rights. Which of NSWP priority areas does your organisation work on? Oppose the criminalisation and other legal oppression of sex work and support its recognition as work.

Sex workers who operate in settings where sex work is criminalised face increased risk of violence. The goal of Hands Off! ASWA will be strengthening the sex worker movement in the region as the regional sex worker alliance. Their main activity will be to build leadership among the sex worker community by organising a Champions Academy where sex workers from across the region are trained in lobby and advocacy.

Violent clients, police harassment, and stigma are just some of the main reasons sex workers and the NGO s that collaborate with them are fighting for the South African government to decriminalize the trade. Sex work has been criminalized in South Africa since under the Sexual Offences Act, which bans prostitution, brothels, and criminalizes anyone who lives off the proceeds of sex work. More restrictive legislation was introduced in which criminalized the buying of sex. A report by Human Rights Watch released this month found that criminalization drives sex workers underground where they are often forced to work in unsafe conditions, harassed by the police, and are unable to report rape, assault, or other forms of criminal activity for fear of being prosecuted themselves.