Good News for Sex Workers in Zimbabwe: How a court order improved safety in the absence of decriminalisation

Joanna Busza; Sibongile Mtetwa; Elizabeth Fearon; David Hofisi; Tinashe Mundawarara; Raymond Yekeye; Tapuwa Magure; Owen Mugurungi; Frances Cowan

doi:10.7448/ias.20.1.21860

Good News for Sex Workers in Zimbabwe: How a court order improved safety in the absence of decriminalisation

Joanna Busza
, Sibongile Mtetwa
, Elizabeth Fearon
, David Hofisi
, Tinashe Mundawarara
, Raymond Yekeye
, Tapuwa Magure
, Owen Mugurungi
, Frances Cowan

International Public Health

London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Centre for Sexual Health and HIV/AIDS Research
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights
National AIDS Council
Ministry of Health and Child Care, Zimbabwe

Research output: Contribution to journal › Comment/debate

12 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

As highlighted in the JIAS special issue on the role of police in the global HIV pandemic, legal policy and its enforcement both reflect and shape social attitudes toward key populations including sex workers, men who have sex with men, drug users and other marginalised groups [1]. How the police interpret and implement legal restrictions on specific behaviours influences local risk environments by sharpening or mitigating the laws’ impact [2-4]. This paper summarises recent legal action in Zimbabwe that has positively influenced female sex workers’ (FSW) safety and, if sustained, is likely to translate into reduced HIV risk.

Original language	English
Article number	21860
Pages (from-to)	e21860
Journal	Journal of the International AIDS Society
Volume	20
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.7448/ias.20.1.21860
Publication status	Published - 15 May 2017

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

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JIAS 20 21860 2017Final published version, 136 KBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

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AU - Mundawarara, Tinashe

AU - Yekeye, Raymond

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AB - As highlighted in the JIAS special issue on the role of police in the global HIV pandemic, legal policy and its enforcement both reflect and shape social attitudes toward key populations including sex workers, men who have sex with men, drug users and other marginalised groups [1]. How the police interpret and implement legal restrictions on specific behaviours influences local risk environments by sharpening or mitigating the laws’ impact [2-4]. This paper summarises recent legal action in Zimbabwe that has positively influenced female sex workers’ (FSW) safety and, if sustained, is likely to translate into reduced HIV risk.

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Good News for Sex Workers in Zimbabwe: How a court order improved safety in the absence of decriminalisation

Abstract

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