Page 55 - Q1 2021

has made women safer. They should
seriously consider implementing regimes
of decriminalisation, the legal system
most likely to lead to the realisation of
sex workers’ rights, a concept indirectly
supported by the international human
rights corpus. African states cannot
continue to treat sex workers like criminals,
to relegate them to societal positions
in which they are beyond the reach of
necessary health and legal assistance.

‘’…the only thing the government has
done for us is to label us as ‘prohibited’.
Forget having access to a better life, we
have been denied even the basic human
rights,” says Uzor, a retired sex worker.

As the world has evolved, the profession
also has changed. Road –side
negotiations for sex are far from the
only option. Social media apps now
breed ‘sex for money’ sections, virtual
platforms like Only Fans, have empowered
women financially without actual sexual
transaction. Escort services as well, also
allow women to offer time without sex
for pay. So, while prostitution has directly
been associated with sexual trade,
concessions and new developments
mean women are more protected in the
trade and exercise more power as to how
these meetings and rendezvous can
occur.

This might be one of the oldest
professions, but we do not need to make
it the deadliest. We will always hang over
our heads the morality of women and
men alike who engage in this sector, but
we must not forget that the advocacy of
women’s rights means better life and more
opportunities.

Jan - Mar 2021 | The Lion King | 55