Speaking Out: Personal Testimonies of Rights Violations Experienced by Sex Workers in Kenya

Year
2015

The National Empowerment Network for Persons Living with HIV and AIDS in Kenya (NEPHAK), the Kenya Sex Workers Alliance (KESWA), the Bar Hostess Empowerment and Support Programme (BHESP) and the Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+) have published their report Speaking Out: Personal Testimonies of Rights Violations Experienced by Sex Workers in Kenya. This report focuses on human rights violations among female sex workers living with HIV. It is based on a literature review and interviews conducted in May 2014 among 30 sex workers living with HIV in six counties: Nairobi, Mombasa, Kiambu, Machakos, Kisumu, and Busia. 

Contents include:

  • Executive Summary
  • Chapter 1: Background
  • Chapter 2: Research Methodology
  • Chapter 3: Social Demographics and Circumstances of Sex Work
  • Chapter 4: Research Findings including human rights violations against sex workers living with HIV accessing health care services and experiences of violations against sex workers by law enforcement officers
  • Chapter 5: Conclusion 

This report is useful as it provides key recommendations that are in line with the Kenyan 2010 Constitution, and especially the chapter on the Bill of Rights. It provides recommendations on promoting the right to healthcare and access to justice. The report also advocates for reforming laws and policies that negatively impact on sex workers' health and human rights through criminalisation or other means. 

You can download this 36 page PDF above. This resource is in English.