A group, Greater Women Initiative for Health and Right, has raised alarm over increasing violence and general stigma against sex workers in Nigeria.
The general stigma, according to the group, has cost the lives of many sex workers and robbed them of their rights in the society.
Addressing sex workers and Journalists during a workshop it organised on the rights and potentials of sex workers in Nigeria, held in Umuahia, the group, through its executive director, Josephine Aseme, called for an end to negative perception of sex workers by the society.
The group which works in partnership with the French embassy and USAID, also condemned the degradation of women who did not get married or those with challenges of child bearing, arguing that no woman should be termed a failure because of these issues.
Aseme lamented that many sex workers have been killed, raped or harassed in the course of providing their services while some others have committed suicide in frustration, without receiving deserved media interests.
“A sex worker was killed in Lagos the other day because of a religious book found under her bed. If a sex worker fights with a customer, the media, most of times, expose the face of the sex worker and cover the face of the male customer and this is discrimination and stigma,” Aseme said.
She made it known that her organisation which has branches in Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Abia States promotes quality healthcare among sex workers, adding that financial assistance for private businesses are being provided for sex workers by her organization, after skill acquisition programs.
“We encourage them to get tested for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases every three months. We also advocate justice for abused sex workers.”
“Many sex workers are the bread winners of their families but unfortunately they are stigmatised as criminals. However, we fight child traffickers who pick small girls from the village and bring them to brothels as sex workers.”
“There is a difference between sex work and child trafficking. I will expose hotels, brothels and any individual who indulge in child trafficking.”
She however cautioned sex workers against harbouring criminals or advised them against mismanaging their finances on frivolities.
She appealed to the federal ministry of women affairs and Abia State government to provide financial supports for sex workers and to include them in skill acquisition programs.
Some sex workers who spoke during the event recalled how they were trained and empowered for private businesses by Greater Women Initiative for Health and Right.
