MMEDIA ADVISORY & INVITATION
National Sex Worker Dialogue
“Country reflections on the National Sex Work Programme: Where are we? Where to from here?”
PRETORIA, 02 October 2020 – The Sex Worker Sector of the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC) in collaboration with the Departments of Social Development, Justice, Police and Health will host a sex worker dialogue on Monday, 05 October 2020. This engagement is supported by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), which is the sexual and reproductive health agency of the UN.
In the South African context, sex workers have least access to prevention, care and treatment services because their occupation is criminalized and often stigmatized. Goal 3 of the current National Strategic Plan for HIV, TB and STIs (2017-2022) aims to reach all key and vulnerable populations with comprehensive, customized and targeted interventions. This is to be achieved through the implementation of the National Sex Worker HIV Plan that outlines a comprehensive and nationally coordinated response tailored to their specific needs and includes a core package of services for sex workers, their partners, their clients and their families.
The COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent national lockdown has exacerbated existing challenges faced by sex workers. Reports of human rights violations and sexual violence among sex workers have increased since the lockdown began.
It is against this backdrop that the Deputy Minister of Social Development, Hon. Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu, SANAC, UNFPA and sex worker advocacy groups thought it necessary to host the dialogue. It will facilitate a robust engagement between sex workers, government, civil society, developmental partners and the general public about priorities of the for sex worker sector. These priorities include sex worker community-driven programmes that combine structural, behavioral and biomedical approaches that facilitate improved HIV and TB outcomes.
Media is invited to participate and cover the virtual discussion as follows:
Date: Wednesday, 05 October 2020
Time: 10h00 – 12h00
RSVP for Zoom link: nelson@sanac.org.za
For media queries please contact:
- Nelson Dlamini, SANAC Acting Communications Manager 078 731 0313 / nelson@sanac.org.za
- Ziyanda Ngoma, UNFPA Communications & Advocacy Specialist, 072 299 0868/ ngoma@unfpa.org
- Makhosazana Mavuso, DSD Deputy Minister’s Office, 072 732 9381 / makhosazanama@dsd.gov.za