A demonstration attended by more than one hundred sex workers and supporters took place at the Department of Justice in Cape Town at noon today.
The purpose of the march was to not only call attention to the work that has already been done but also to remind people, particularly as it comes to the end of Human Rights Month, that passing the bill to decriminalise sex work should continue to be a priority.
Also read: Government looks into prospect of decriminalising sex work in SA
The Sex Workers Education and Advocacy Task Force, also known as SWEAT, is a non-profit organisation that has been advocating for South African sex workers and providing services to them for the past 20 years.
SWEAT advocates for law reform of the sex work industry in South Africa, through its support for total decriminalisation of adult sex work.
Its goal is to see South Africa become a place where people who choose to engage in the business of prostitution can still live their lives with freedom, rights and human dignity.
In order to improve the health of sex workers, SWEAT employs a strategy that is centred on human rights and supported by evidence.
‘We embrace the idea of wellness, which calls for the active participation of sex workers in becoming aware of the options available to them and making choices that will lead to a life that is both healthy and fulfilling. The absence of disease is only one component of wellness; it is also important to maintain your mental and social health in order to achieve true wellness.’
The march was supported by the Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+), which is a network for people living with HIV that is run by people living with HIV.
GNP+ engages with and provides support for national and regional networks of people living with HIV and challenges governments and other leaders around the world to increase access to high-quality HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services by drawing on the persuasive potential of evidence-based advocacy.
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Picture: @GNP+ / Twitter