Today 1st March 2023, we mark the Zero Discrimination Day. We celebrate the right of every sex worker to live empowered lives free from any stigma and discrimination.
The Day highlights how sex workers should be aware of inclusion into health and all other programs and initiatives.
The theme for 2023 is “Save lives: Decriminalise”,
We highlight how the criminalization of sex work, same sex relations, people living with HIV drug possession and drug use negatively affects sex workers and increases their vulnerability to HIV/AIDS. Punitive environments have been shown to limit the availability, access and uptake of HIV prevention, treatment, care and support for sex workers and their clients.
Sex workers of all genders struggle to meet their own health and well-being needs and face significant legal and institutional discrimination. Health service providers often neglect their duty to provide care when seeing sex workers. Similarly, police and other law enforcement officials often violate the human rights of sex workers rather than promote and protect them.
We call for an end to the discrimination against sex workers.
As we mark the Zero Discrimination Day, we call for the decriminalization of sex work to improve sex workers’ health outcome.
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