VIOLENCE AGAINST SEX WORKERS IN AFRICA “Every sex worker has got a story to tell about violence” This study was commissioned by the African Sex Worker Alliance (ASWA), under the KP REACH Programme, a regional programme to address HIV amongst key populations in the SADC Region, funded by the Global Fund. KP REACH was managed by Principal Recipient Hivos, and implemented by 4 networks [ASWA; African Men for Sexual Health and Rights (AMSHeR), Coalition of African Lesbians (CAL); and the Southern African Trans* Forum (SATF)], and 3 partner organisations [SAfAIDS, Positive Vibes, and M&C Saatchi] Suggested Citation: African Sex Worker Alliance (2019). “Every sex worker has got a story to tell about violence”: Violence against sex workers in Africa. Nairobi. Research by: Maria Stacey and Brian Kanyemba, Equal Africa DTP and artwork by Jaywalk Design, Cape Town, South Africa Cover image courtesy of Voice of our Voices, eSwatini 2 VIOLENCE AGAINST SEX WORKERS IN AFRICA CONTENTS ABOUT THIS STUDY ............................................................................................................................. 6 Background .......................................................................................................................................... 6 Key Populations Representation Evidence and Advocacy for Change in Health [KP REACH] Programme ................................................................................................................................... 6 Meaningful Representation, Dialogue and Advocacy Action Plan ............................................... 7 A framework for this study ............................................................................................................. 8 PART 1: A THEMATIC OVERVIEW OF VIOLENCE AGAINST SEX WORKERS IN AFRICA ............... 9 1.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 10 1.2. Understanding violence ........................................................................................................... 11 1.2.1 Categories of violence ........................................................................................................ 11 1.2.2. Types of Violence .............................................................................................................. 12 1.3 Who perpetuates the Violence? ................................................................................................ 14 1.3.1. Clients ................................................................................................................................ 14 1.3.2. Police .................................................................................................................................. 15 1.3.3. Criminals and thugs........................................................................................................... 16 1.3.4. Third parties ....................................................................................................................... 17 1.3.5. General public.................................................................................................................... 17 1.3.6. Intimate Partners................................................................................................................ 18 1.3.7. Health care workers........................................................................................................... 20 1.3.8. Other sex workers ............................................................................................................. 20 1.4. Factors associated with violence ............................................................................................. 21 1.4.1. Criminal laws ..................................................................................................................... 21 1.4.2. Workplaces ........................................................................................................................ 21 1.4.3. Gender ............................................................................................................................... 21 1.4.4. Substance use ................................................................................................................... 24 1.4.5. Age ..................................................................................................................................... 24 1.4.6. Poverty ............................................................................................................................... 24 1.5. Exploitation in sex work, including human trafficking ............................................................ 25 1.6. Impact of Violence .................................................................................................................... 28 1.6.1. Sexual and reproductive health ........................................................................................ 28 1.6.2. Mental health ..................................................................................................................... 29 1.6.3. Access to health care ........................................................................................................ 30 1.7. Preventing and responding to violence .................................................................................. 31 1.7.1 Informal strategies .............................................................................................................. 31 1.7.2. Formal strategies ............................................................................................................... 33 PART 2: CONSULTATIONS WITH SEX WORKERS ON VIOLENCE IN 4 SADC COUNTRIES ........ 41 2.1. Introduction: Why these four countries? ................................................................................ 42 2.2 Methodology ............................................................................................................................. 42 2.3 Results from the Consultations ................................................................................................. 43 2.3.1. What is violence?............................................................................................................... 43 2.3.2. Who are the perpetrators of violence? ............................................................................. 44 2.3.3. Why are sex workers at risk for violence?........................................................................ 45 2.3.4. Are there groups of sex workers who are at higher risk for violence, and why? ........... 48 2.3.5. What is the impact of violence on sex workers? ............................................................. 50 2.3.6. What are sex workers’ strategies for preventing, mitigating and responding to violence? ........................................................................................................................... 55 2.3.7. What are sex worker-led organisations doing about violence? ...................................... 56 2.3.8. What are other organisations doing about violence towards sex workers? .................. 58 2.3.9. Imagining sex worker-led violence prevention and response programmes .................. 58 PART 3: ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY BY AFRICAN REGION AND COUNTRY ............................ 61 North Africa ...................................................................................................................................... 62 Algeria ........................................................................................................................................... 62 Chad .............................................................................................................................................. 62 Djibouti ......................................................................................................................................... 62 Egypt ............................................................................................................................................. 62 Libya ............................................................................................................................................. 63 Mauritania ..................................................................................................................................... 63 AFRICAN SEX WORKER ALLIANCE 3 Morocco ....................................................................................................................................... 63 Niger ............................................................................................................................................. 63 Somalia ......................................................................................................................................... 63 Sudan ............................................................................................................................................ 64 Tunisia ........................................................................................................................................... 64 West Africa........................................................................................................................................ 64 Benin ............................................................................................................................................