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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:

Completed cases:

Criminal JusticeJudgmentsNewsSADCSex Worker Rights

NEWS RELEASE: ABUJA HIGH COURT DENOUNCES VIOLATION OF WOMEN’S RIGHTS BY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES

12 August 2021, Abuja – On 5 August 2021, the Federal High Court of Nigeria, Abuja Division, per Justice Maha, handed down a groundbreaking decision against law enforcement agencies that violated women’s rights. The Applicants were among 71 women who were arrested at various public spaces in Abuja between 17 and…
Anneke Meerkotter
12 Aug 2021
BotswanaEswatiniFocus areasMalawiNamibiaResearch Reports & Policy BriefsSex Worker RightsTanzaniaZambiaZimbabwe

The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on sex workers in Southern Africa

In October 2020, SALC conducted a mapping exercise in some countries in the SADC region (Botswana, Namibia, Eswatini, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi) to assess the impact that COVID-19 has had on sex workers. The information reported is from conversations with eight activists working for sex worker organisations in seven Southern African…
Staff Writer
22 Feb 2021
Criminal JusticeDisability RightsMalawiSex Worker RightsSOGIE RightsSubmissions

Joint Stakeholder Submission to the UNHRC for the LOIPR to be considered in relation to Malawi

The Malawi Centre for Human Rights Education, Advice and Assistance (CHREAA), the Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC), Reprieve and Irish Rule of Law International (IRLI) submit information to the Human Rights Committee (HRC) for the drafting of the list of issues prior to reporting (LOIPR) ahead of the upcoming review…
Amanda Shivamba
25 Jan 2021