
Much of the vulnerability of sex workers to HIV in southern Africa stems directly from the criminalisation of their work and the patriarchal context in which they operate. Among other things, demand is driven by the expansion of cultural conceptions of sex as a commodity, the increased movement of people and capital, and the rapid expansion of Information and Communication Technology. Sex work is not regarded as the oldest profession for nothing and demand will almost certainly grow with increased globalisation, regardless of the legal framework a country adopts.

These factors include: the social construction of sexuality (female) bodies being available for (male) consumption the existence of viable alternative employment opportunities for sex workers the social stigma that attaches to sex work and the role of global consumerism. Sociologists, economists and psychologists have argued for recognition of a number of factors that render the demand-supply approach to sex work more complex. This may be especially true of settings with marked economic and gender inequities, as research by the International Labour Organisation indicates: "poverty has never prevented men from frequenting prostitutes, whose fees are geared to the purchasing power of their customers". A narrow market perspective suggests that demand for paid sex will be met by supply. Given the legal and funding impediments to the work of NGOs and the lack of government support for these initiatives, health care programmes have only managed scattered and broadly ineffective attempts at preventing HIV in sex workers in southern Africa, their clients and by extension, the general population. This indirect approach has been encouraged by international funding agencies such as the US Presidential Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which make funding conditional on a pledge by recipient organisations that they will not advocate for the legalisation of sex work. Rather than directly challenging legal frameworks, some health workers have sought to provide HIV prevention services for sex workers. These questions are particularly pertinent in southern Africa, a region with hyper-endemic HIV. Few health professionals have openly questioned whether criminalisation of sex work is a sound public health notion. Sex work is currently a criminal offence in most southern African countries - as indeed it is in most of the world.
#FIFA 2010 JAR REGISTRATION#
Some have called for the temporary legalisation of sex work, while others have advocated a forceful crackdown on sex workers, involving mandatory HIV testing and sex worker registration with a regulatory authority. In the build-up to the FIFA 2010 World Cup in South Africa, alongside concerns about crime and the coaching of the South African football team, there has been consternation over an anticipated increase in demand for paid sex during the tournament. The women were fined 1000 Malawian Kwatcha for trading in sex while having a sexually transmitted infection (STI). In Malawi, human rights non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are taking up a case against the police after they arrested 14 sex workers, forcibly tested them for HIV and reported their HIV results in the media. A Swaziland senator sparked public debate by suggesting sex work be legalised.

In short, the authors argue for a moratorium on the enforcement of laws that persecute and victimise sex workers during the World Cup period.Īlthough a subject not usually broached by mainstream media or politicians, sex work has recently received increased attention in southern Africa. Public health goals and growing evidence on HIV prevention suggest that sex work is best approached in a context where it is decriminalised and where sex workers are empowered. The 2010 FIFA World Cup presents a strategic opportunity for South Africa to respond to the challenges that the sex industry poses in a strategic and rights-based manner. International sporting events are thought to increase demand for paid sex and, particularly in countries with hyper-endemic HIV such as South Africa, likely to foster increased HIV transmission through unprotected sex. They argue that laws that criminalise sex work not only compound sex workers' individual risk for HIV, but also compromise broader public health goals. Discussionĭrawing on existing literature, the authors highlight the increased vulnerability of sex workers in the context of the HIV pandemic in southern Africa. In the context of South Africa's intense preparation for hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup, anxiety over HIV transmission in the context of sex work has sparked debate on the most appropriate legal response to this industry. Sex work is receiving increased attention in southern Africa.
