ASWA conducted a sex worker movement mapping exercise in Africa primarily focusing on Francophone countries in West and Central Africa.
The workshop on mapping sex workers organising involving participants from 11 Francophone West & Central African countries was held in January 2022 in Nairobi, Kenyan Capital. The participants were all drawn from sex worker-led organisations in the eleven Francophone West & Central African countries. In Central Africa, the countries were C.A.R, D.R.C, Burundi, Rwanda. In West Africa, the countries are Senegal, Benin, Togo, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Mali and Guinea.
The mapping exercise was intended to ascertain the state of sex worker organising in the above-mentioned countries. Sex worker organizing has continued across Africa despite at times insurmountable obstacles brought about by both state and non-state actors.
This mapping exercise was aimed at providing updated, relevant, accurate and current data on the organizing of sex workers in the identified targeted countries.
One recommendation from the mapping exercise is that funders should commit to long-term core support for African francophone sex workers movements and CBOs to transform unequal and discriminatory economic and health systems and social structures.