Female sex workers in Malawi, who are a particularly marginalised and vulnerable group, face challenges accessing healthcare due to stigma and discrimination, which leads to poor sexual and reproductive health. This project aims to increase access to non-judgmental comprehensive sexual and reproductive healthcare for sex workers in Lilongwe district by supporting women to advocate for their health rights.
Despite the presence of governmental policies in Malawi, women and gender diverse people in sex work struggle to access non-judgmental inclusive healthcare support. Sex workers also experience high rates of unintended pregnancy and 78, women across the country undergo unsafe abortions each year MSI Reproductive Choices Covid has exacerbated the issue as increasing numbers of women and girls are entering sex work, many of whom have moved from rural locations and are unaware of, or afraid to access, healthcare services.
This is an advocacy project aimed at increasing access to non-judgemental comprehensive health care for women and gender diverse people in sex work. This will be achieved by identifying and supporting the urgent needs of these women and girls who have been marginalised by the health care system, and then building their agency and advocacy skills to call to account those who have power to meet their needs.
This will provide opportunities for inclusion of sex worker rights within the movement to advocate for universal healthcare long-term. As a result of this project, it is hoped that women in sex work will be more able to advocate for their health rights, local healthcare workers will be trained to deliver more inclusive services, and dialogue with policy-makers on the provision of non-judgmental comprehensive healthcare will be strengthened.
Their mission is to improve the sexual and reproductive health rights of women and girls who have been marginalised using participatory learning and drama.
