KAMPALA – The Alliance of Women Advocating for Change (AWAC) a sex work-led organization has urged authorities to prioritize the protection of marginalized women, including sex workers, who are disproportionately exposed to multiple and newer forms of targeted violence.
Kyomya Macklean, Executive Director, AWAC Uganda says decriminalizing sex work means they are more likely to live without stigma, social exclusion, and fear of violence.
She was on Tuesday speaking to the press at a post-international sex workers day observed every June 2nd, to advocate for the rights, safety, and well-being of sex workers globally.
According to her, there are several sex workers that were killed mysteriously between October 24th, 2023, and February 5th, 2024 in Sembabule, Wakiso, and Kampala Districts including; Madrine Nakuya, Flavia Ajuka, Mulungi Annet, Mastula Nabasirye, Nimusima Edith, Nakatudde Shamim, among many other, totaling to about 21. Since then, she says no justice has been rendered to their families.
During this year’s women’s day commemoration, Nakirya Miria, a female sex worker from Ssembabule district narrated that for the last four months, she and her colleagues had had a nightmare following the gruesome killing of their fellows.
She said it all started one morning on November 15, 2023, when they found one of their colleagues – Annet Nantingo dead in her room.
“Alarm was made, people and police came but everyone was condemning the dead, “It seems she got a man, stole from him, the reason why he killed her”. We said even if that was the case, she would have been reported to the police.”
A month later, on December 16, Nakirya revealed that another fellow was also found dead in her room after hearing her one-year and eight-month-old baby crying helplessly.
“We wondered if this one also had stolen any man’s money,” she said during Alliance of Women Advocating for Change – AWAC’s community dialogue in the commemoration of the International Women’s Day.
Also on January 16, she noted that her immediate neighbor – Najjuko Promise was murdered in the same way. She also had an eight-month-old baby.
Kyomya says in a world where women, female sex workers, and sexual and gender-diverse people continue to face pervasive gender-based violence, investing in their human rights, sexual reproductive health rights, and well-being is not just a moral imperative but a pathway to achieving true progress.
“We cannot claim to be advocating for Sustainable Development Goals, National Development Plan and all HIV-related responses yet we are leaving specific marginalized groups of the community for instance sex workers behind.”
According to the Uganda police annual crime report 2022, a total of 17,698 country-wide Gender Based Violence cases with related murders were reported for women. The Demographic and Health Survey 2016, indicates that women are more than twice as likely to experience violence as opposed to their male counterparts.
Uganda AIDS Commission (2019), Synthesis consolidation and building consensus on key and priority population size estimation reports that an estimated 130,359 female sex workers (FSWs) in Uganda operate in a criminalized environment.
Kyomya says that this environment has exposed FSWs to a disproportionate burden of gender inequalities, HIV infection, stigma, discrimination and systemic exclusion, GBV, mental health problems and other life-threatening challenges.
She revealed that according to a study on prevalence and factors associated with major depression among female sex workers in post-conflict Gulu district, 47.7% of the FSWs had major depression, with more than half of those having severe depression reported.
She challenged the government and ministry of health to make the metal health program a wider reach for all since currently its only in two districts.
She also says the government should sensitize its state officials on human rights and the need for them to ensure justice and protection for all.
She wants the sex workers to equally be involved in the government development projects like the parish development model and NAADs programmes since sex workers have SACCOS.
Sheila Muwanga Nabachwa, a renowned human rights activist said that much as Uganda, like many countries in Africa criminalizes sex work, it doesn’t call for violence against them.
“The issue is about violence against women engaging in sex work. Regardless of anyone’s status, violence is unacceptable, it is a crime in the laws of Uganda.”
Also, Muwanga says there is still a challenge of access to health services by this minority group.
“Sex workers definitely are treated differently in health centers because they are also seen by health workers as immoral. Yes, there has been improvement due to sensitization but there are still challenges.”
ASP Asiimwe Muteera, Community Laison Officer, Kawempe police division said that they are challenged because Uganda hasn’t legalized sex work, and “in the meantime, we treat it as prostitution.”
“In our context, it is punishable by law.”
“However, we have to admit that these sex workers serve people including married men and even high-profile people. We recognize that they exist but illegally. As law enforcement officers, we are caught between the lines but our core mandate is to implement what the law says. Yes, they may call it being victimized, mistreatment but what we do basically is enforcement.”
He appealed to them to work with the stakeholders to push for the legalization of their work.
On the killings, he noted that they are yet to establish if this was targeted at the sex workers and they are carrying out investigations.
“Whether you have killed a sex worker or whoever, that’s punishable by law, so when we are investigating, we investigate a murder case of a Ugandan.”
Meteera advised them that “whereas you are operating illegally also put some security measures. Not everyone who comes to you wants sex, others have intentions.”
