Achievers Plight Self Help Group

Who do you work with?

Achievers Plight Self Help Group (APSHG) is a legally registered non-profit and non-political women sex worker led organization in the slum of Nyalenda in Kisumu County. It was formed and registered in 2009 to advocate for the rights and equal treatment of women/ male sex workers, their children and family.

How are sex workers involved in your organisation?

Sex workers are key decision makers in the Organization and are also part of the staff members is fronting the rights of sex workers within the organization.

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
Critique the trafficking paradigm that conflates representations of sex work, migration, and mobility
Advocate for universal access to health services, including primary health care, HIV and sexual and reproductive health services
Speak out about violence against sex workers, including violence from police, institutions, clients, and intimate partners, while challenging the myth that sex work is inherently gender-based violence
Oppose human rights abuses, including coercive programming, mandatory testing, raids and forced rehabilitation
Challenge stigma and discrimination against sex workers, their families and partners, and others involved in sex work
Advocate for the economic empowerment and social inclusion of sex workers as sex workers
What are the two main challenges that the sex workers you work with face

It was formed due to high cases of violations directed to sex workers and women who are single towards accessing health, legal injustices and discrimination that resulted to sex workers being murdered, committing suicide and some turning to alcohol for solace. It is from sex work’s illegality, as well as deep-seated social stigmatization beliefs about this kind of trade and attitude deeply rooted on cultural and religious views leading to non-acceptance by the community, public attacks, social marginalization, dehumanized and criminalization of their occupation that these abuses flow.

Describe other areas of your work

Promoting Sex Workers Rights through Policy change Advocacy, Integrated Health, Child Rights, Capacity building, Economic Empowerment, Research and Documentation.

Region
Country
Kenia