Sex Worker Rights
SALC’s Sex Worker Rights programme has the following objectives:
- To assert accountability for police abuse of sex workers.
- To assert sex workers’ rights to form an association and to engage in protests.
- To challenge incorrect interpretations of offences, including the offence of living on the earnings of prostitution.
- To challenge offences used to arbitrarily target sex workers and other marginalised groups.
Current Cases:
Nigeria: Challenging unlawful arrests of sex workers and police abuse.
Nigeria: Challenging police arrest practices.
Completed Cases:
Malawi: Case challenging the use of the offence of living on the earnings of prostitution to arrest sex workers.
Malawi: Case challenging constitutionality of rogue and vagabond offence.
Malawi: Case challenging mandatory HIV testing of women.
Zimbabwe: Case challenging the refusal to allow sex workers to march.
Malawi: Case challenging arbitrary arrest of sex workers.
NIGERIA COURT ORDERS LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES TO UPHOLD SEX WORKERS’ RIGHTS...
20 December 2019, Abuja – On 18 December 2019, the Federal High Court of Nigeria, Abuja Division, per Justice Nyako, handed down an important judgment on sex workers’ rights to due process at the hands of law enforcement agencies, in…
Read More Nigeria: Challenge to arbitrary arrest of women during sweeping exercises...
Factual Background At 11pm on 22 February 2017, the Joint Task Force broke down the doors of the homes of the applicants, assaulted them, indecently searched them, took the money they had on them, and then arrested and detained them.…
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Eswatini: Summary of the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Act...
The Rights4All Project, under its My Body My Rights Campaign, published a booklet which summarises the provisions of the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Act of 2018. The booklet is available here.
Read More ESWATINI: SEX WORKERS & THE LAW...
The Rights4All Project, as part of its My Body My Rights Campaign, has produced leaflets on the laws which can be used by sex workers to assert their rights. See detailed pamphlet here See summary pamphlet here
Read More Nigeria: Challenge to arbitrary arrest of women during sweeping exercises...
Factual Background The applicants were among 71 women who were arrested at various public spaces in Abuja between 17 and 26 April 2019. The arrests were carried out by the FCTA Joint Task Team comprising the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Securities…
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Reflection on the Closing of Civic Spaces in Southern Africa...
From 14 to 16 November 2018, 100 human rights defenders from across Southern Africa met to discuss the closing of civic spaces in the region. The Summit noted points for activism to ensure that human rights defenders are able to…
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Official registration of key populations organizations opens doors for funding a...
Local community groups working with populations vulnerable to HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa are making inroads into obtaining official recognition by their governments, which is expanding opportunities for increased funding and ensuring a more substantial, and needed, role in national HIV…
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SALC at the International AIDS Conference 2018...
SALC is attending AIDS 2018. See some highlights of our activities below.
Read More Malawi: Challenging arbitrary arrest of sex workers...
Factual Background In the late evening of 22 September 2017, police conducted a sweeping exercise. They arrested 24 persons and charged them jointly with the offence of “being found wandering and failing to give a good account of themselves”. In…
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NEWS RELEASE: HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS CELEBRATE MALAWI’S ADOPTION OF AMENDED HI...
Lilongwe - On Tuesday, 28 November, Malawi Members of Parliament voted to reject coercive and criminalising provisions that threatened human rights in a long-deliberated HIV (Prevention and Management) Bill. Activists and people living with and affected by HIV celebrated outside…
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NEWS RELEASE: SUPREME COURT OF ZIMBABWE SETS ASIDE HIGH COURT DECISION TO REFUSE...
On Tuesday, 28 November 2017, the Supreme Court of Zimbabwe set aside the decision of the High Court of Zimbabwe, in which the High Court refused the Sexual Rights Centre (SRC) in Bulawayo the right to hold a peaceful demonstration.…
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Zimbabwe: Protecting marginalised groups’ right to assembly...
On 28 November 2017, the Supreme Court of Zimbabwe set aside the decision of the High Court of Zimbabwe, in which the High Court refused the Sexual Rights Centre (SRC) in Bulawayo the right to hold a peaceful demonstration. The…
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