Regional updates: Africa

Our members are listed on the left or you can click the red umbrellas on the map.

Regional Board Members

Pamela Chakuvinga (Sisonke), South Africa

Patrick Fotso (Alcondoms Cameroun), Cameroon

Regional Network

The African Sex Workers Alliance (ASWA) is a pan-African network of sex worker-led national networks and national and local organisations led by and/or working with female, male and transgender sex workers. It was formed in 2009 by sex workers and women’s activists and non-governmental organisations and is now based in Nairobi, Kenya.

News articles from Africa region are listed below.

Regional updates

26th марта 2013 | Region: Global, Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Latin America, North America and the Caribbean

NSWP has received short term funding from the Robert Carr Civil Society Network Fund (RCNF) to support our regional networks in identifying and documenting good practice in sex worker led HIV programming; sex workers access to treatment and the impact of free trade agreements; and the impact of HIV programming for sex workers that fails to reflect a rights based approach.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS:  Friday, 12 April 2013 @ 24.00.

26th марта 2013 | Region: Global, Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Latin America, North America and the Caribbean

NSWP has received short term funding from the Robert Carr Civil Society Network Fund (RCNF) to support our regional networks in identifying and documenting good practice in sex worker led HIV programming; sex workers access to treatment and the impact of free trade agreements; and the impact of HIV programming for sex workers that fails to reflect a rights based approach.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS:  Friday, 12 April 2013 @ 24.00.

26th марта 2013 | Region: Global, Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Latin America, North America and the Caribbean

NSWP has received short term funding from the Robert Carr Civil Society Network Fund (RCNF) to support our regional networks in identifying and documenting good practice in sex worker led HIV programming; sex workers access to treatment and the impact of free trade agreements; and the impact of HIV programming for sex workers that fails to reflect a rights based approach.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS:  Friday, 12 April 2013 @ 24.00.

21st января 2013 | Region: Africa

The African Sex Workers Alliance (ASWA) appointed a new Regional Coordinator, Daughtie Ogutu in November.

Daughtie stated on her appointment:

'I am looking forward to a wonderful, fulfilling experience at ASWA. My dream is to take ASWA to a level that is unimaginable, explore a platform and arena where sex workers issues are tabled and discussed without frowned faces and prejudices. My dream is to have an African sex workers movement that is recognized a world leader and agent of change and has the power to influence through collective action and responsibility. I endeavour to build a PanAfrican Sex Worker leadership team that is guided by feminist principles.'

You cna read all of her opening words on the ASWA website here.

18th сентября 2012 | Region: Africa

Reports from Kenya are emerging of police blocking and barricading sex workers who were demonstrating today against the recent murders of colleagues and attending the burial of one sex worker.

The protesters had been granted a permit by the police to have a procession in the town of Thika today, and were then planning to continue to the funeral of their colleague.  The police however barricaded more than 300 sex workers at the mortuary.  John Mathenge said the police, some brandishing guns, had threatened demonstrators with tear gas. 

KEWSA, who organised the demonstration in Thika, later addressed the media and demanded police action to investigate the murders.  You can see the ASWA & KESWA press statement on the murders here.

Read more about today's demonstration in Identity Kenya.

7th сентября 2012 | Region: Africa

Africa Sexworkers Alliance (ASWA) and Kenya Sexworkers Alliance (KESWA) condemn the killings of sex workers in Mombasa over the last 2 months. This is a violation of Human Rights and proves that sex workers lives and welfare is a great concern to the entire nation.

KESWA has been on the forefront fighting against the discrimination of sex work to avoid such forms of inhuman acts while preventing such occurrences in future. We urge the community, Police and fellow sex workers to help bring the culprits to book. Today it might be her, tomorrow you, me or your own brother or sister.

KESWA demands for quick action and justice, in this regard KESWA is going to hold a peaceful demonstration in Mombasa on Saturday starting at Magongo to Changamwe Police Station, “SEX WORKERS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS AND ONLY RIGHTS CAN STOP THE WRONGS”.

KESWA invites all sex workers and the community at large to join us to stop violence against sex workers who are also human beings. They are our brothers, sisters, fathers and mothers! Who will protect us the sex workers? Who will listen to our cry?

John Mathenge                                                          Phelister Wamboi

Act. Regional Coordinator, ASWA                              KESWA Coordinator

23rd августа 2012 | Region: Africa

The African Sex Work Alliance,(ASWA) which is managed by the Sex Worker Education, Advocacy and Task Force (SWEAT) seeks to fill the following positions:

Regional CoordinatorOperations Manager

ASWA promotes the health and human rights of sex workers within the existing legal systems in which sex work in South Africa, and in Eights African Countries operate.

It also engages in policy activities which promotes the recognition and protection of sex work, and endorses sex work as work. ASWA also leads civil society campaigns calling for the decriminalisation of sex work in South Africa, and on the African continent as a whole. Targeted programs assist in mobilising sex workers, as well as providing crucial information in respect of health and human rights.

Click on the post title above for more information and full information on how to apply.

Potential applicants must indicate for which position they have applied , and not apply for both positions simultaneously.

Closing dates for both posts is 31st August.

23rd августа 2012 | Region: Africa

The Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition (WHRD IC) and AWID have expressed deep concern regarding the safety of five staff from the Uganda sex worker organization, Women’s Organization Network for Human Rights Advocacy (WONETHA).

Following a police raid on the WONETHA drop-in centre in Gulu town on 7th May this year, five of WONETHA’s members have been charged with “living on the earnings of prostitution”. If found guilty they could face up to seven years in prison.

Documents were confiscated, as well as computers and other material from the center. They also read personal emails and correspondence. The raid took place without a warrant. Two members of WONETHA staff were arrested at the drop-in centre and three were arrested at the police offices when they went to visit their colleagues.

Read the full reports of the international condemnation in these stories on the AWID and WHRD IC websites.

17th мая 2012 | Region: Africa

NSWP learned today of the tragic news of the death of Abel Shinana, Director of African Sex Workers Alliance (ASWA) Namibia.

We send our heartfelt condolences to colleagues, friends and family.  A great friend, colleague and superb emerging sex work leader has been lost.

17th мая 2012 | Region: Africa

Following on from our story the illegal raid on WONETHA's offices hundreds of sex workers at popular pubs in Gulu Town are on the run, following the arrest of dozens of their colleagues. The northern regional police spokesperson, Mr Johnson Kilama, said they apprehended dozens of sex workers and committed them to court.

17th мая 2012 | Region: Africa

On the 7th of May 2012, the WONETHA Drop-In Centre in Gulu, Uganda was raided by police and computers and other items taken away.  WONETHA’s staff at the Drop In centre were also arrested and detained.

The arrested outreach workers and 3 other member were taken to court and charged with ‘living on the earnings of prostitution’.

Read the full story on ASWA’s website.

14th апреля 2012 | Region: Africa

NSWP and ASWA member, Health Options for Young Men on HIV, AIDS and STIs, based in Kenya, has been awarded a grant to train its members to be peer educators and undertake outreach through social media.

The award from amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, will provide sex workers living with HIV with HIV prevention and treatment information. Those trained will, in turn, will pass that knowledge on to other sex workers. Additionally, HOYMAS is working with the Kenyan government to improve public policies related to HIV among male sex workers.

12th апреля 2012 | Region: Africa

UNFPA Africa’s website features this story marking the launch of this resource, which can be found in our resources section here.

Source: Extract from the full story on the UNFPA Africa website.

Sex workers are a critical aspect of Namibia’s plans to tackle HIV and AIDS. However, up until 2011 little was known about their needs and challenges and nor were there national guidelines for effective, rights-based programming with sex workers. A series of rapid assessments on sex work and HIV was conducted by sex workers with the support of UNFPA and UNAIDS Namibia and the Society for Family Health (SFH). This was implemented as part of UNAIDS’ programme acceleration funding (PAF) award to UNFPA Namibia.

4th апреля 2012 | Region: Africa

Three new resources have been published by UNFPA / UNAIDS, in partnership with ASWA and The Society for Family Health, on sex worker rights and HIV in Namibia and are now available in our 'Resources' section (or just click on the name of the document below.)

3rd апреля 2012 | Region: Africa

UNAIDS recently feature this story on the front page of their website about sex workers in both Namibia and Kenya advocating for their rights of access to health care and legal services, including coverage of the demontrations for International Sex Worker Rights Day on 3rd March.  It is certainly significant to see stories such as this being given such prominence on the UNAIDS site.  

Matthew Greenall on his Epidreamiology blog has however challeged a couple of significant accuracies carried in the article, specifically about sex owrkers not being able to negotiate condom use; and regarding exactly why sex workers asked for changes in laws and policies that impact on their lives.