Commercial sex workers push for their rights, threatens to demonstrate

Representatives of sex workers from the central region have repeated a call for protection of their rights, claiming the minority group is still facing a lot of abuse and rebuke from various sectors of the society.

The remarks were made by the National Coordinator of Sex Workers Association of Malawi (SWAM), Zinenani Majawa during a sex workers interface meeting held in the resort district of Salima on Sunday.

“We are not happy that in this age, we sex workers continue to face a lot of abuse and discrimination. When we need help from police and hospital, there is no privacy for us,” she revealed.

Majawa warned that the sex workers will organize a protest if they continue to face abuse in the hands of law enforcers and health service providers.

“In two weeks time we have arranged meetings with Police and the Ministry of health to present our complaints and if we are not assisted after that, we will hold demonstrations across the country,” she said.

Centre for Human Rights District Coordinator for Salima, Mac Issa told MANA that his office receives a lot of complaints from sex workers alleging abuse by Police officers and medical practitioners.

“As a rights body here in Salima, we are really receiving many complaints from the sex workers and we believe it will be proper if Police as well as the DHO take time to investigate the allegations rather than just ignore it,” he said.

Salima Police Publicist, Gift Chitowe said that the Police would make a comment after meeting the group.

Public Relations Officer for Salima District Hospital,Angella Nyongani said that they have never received any complaint from sex workers on any type of abuse by the health workers.