SWAZI POLICE RAPE SEX WORKERS

The abuse and rape of sex workers in Swaziland at the hands of police is a growing and widespread problem.

Prostitution is still illegal in the kindom, yet sex workers have reported targeted campaigns of rape and violence at the hands of Swazi police.

One well known investigator is notorious to sex workers in the capital, Mbabane.

‘He attacks us at our hotspot,’ said one 20-year-old sex worker. ‘He threatens us with a gun so that we do not run away. He then rapes us, after he is done, he lets his boys rape us while he watches, and we cannot report this to the police.’

The following article is distributed by Gender Links (Johannesburg), South Africa.

The Deadly Link Between Police, Sex Work And HIV

Alec Lushaba

SOURCE

7 December 2010

Mbabane, Swaziland — In a country known for its skyrocketing HIV and AIDS rates, conservatism, Christianity and traditional mores, it may come as a surprise that the abuse and rape of sex workers in Swaziland at the hands of police is a growing and widespread problem.

Sex work, known as one of the oldest trades, is still illegal in the country, yet sex workers have reported targeted campaigns of rape and violence at the hands of Swazi police.

One well known investigator is notorious to sex workers in the capital, Mbabane.

"He attacks us at our hotspot," said Phumzile Mamba*, a 20-year-old sex worker. "He threatens us with a gun so that we do not run away. He then rapes us, after he is done, he lets his boys rape us while he watches, and we cannot report this to the police."

Sex work in Swaziland is not confined to urban areas, but also common in rural areas, where patterns of abuse are often less evident.

A recent report by Swaziland Action Group Against Abuse (SWAAGA), in partnership with other local organisations, noted: "It is not just that they are arrested, to a greater or lesser degree they are forced by police to comply with demands for free sex or sex in exchange for not being arrested.

27% of the sex workers have at some point been arrested by state police for loitering. 60% of those arrested end up being sexually and physically abused by the police."

The study involved 150 sex workers, both female and male, from urban and rural communities.

In an attempt to intensify the fight against HIV and AIDS, several local organisations, including SWAAGA, have called for the decriminalisation of sex work in the country. They argue that the decriminalisation of sex work would enable their organisations and other partners to reach those involved in the illegal trade.

The National Strategic Framework for HIV and AIDS (NFS) identifies commercial sex as one of the key drivers of HIV and AIDS in Swaziland.

"Sex work is often characterised by high rates of partner change, low rates of condom use, unsafe sex and high rates of sexually transmitted infections.

Consequently, HIV infection is often high and the virus can quickly spread through sexual networks encompassing sex workers, clients, regular partners and associated lovers," states one NFS report.

Over the past several years, Swaziland has recorded one of the highest HIV prevalence rates in the world. Data from the country's 11th National Sero-Surveillance Report indicates that HIV prevalence increased from 39 to 42% between 2006 and 2008.

The Swaziland Demographic and Health Survey estimated the prevalence among the population between 15-49 years to be at 26%. This means that for every four Swazis in the reproductive age, one is HIV positive.

In such a climate, sex workers have become a vital link in HIV prevention in the country.

Another recent study, the 2010 United Nations Assembly Special Session on HIV and AIDS (UNGASS) found that Swaziland's sex workers are being pressured by clients not to use condoms. These clients often pay more money, something sex workers may find hard to turn down.

Sex workers are put at greater risk of contracting HIV, and the client then likely goes home to a wife, who is also put at risk.

Many times that "client" is a police officer.

Because sex work is criminalised, law enforcers often overlook that sex workers can be victims of crime, and street-based workers in particular experience high levels of assault and rape.

Yet Police Public Relations Officer Superintendent Wendy Hleta said the police have no knowledge of sex workers in the country because their trade is illegal.

However, she said in cases where they have been abused or violated by police or individuals, such cases should be reported.

"We have competent officers, both female and male, who can listen to their concerns even when it means being heard in private. We encourage them to come forward and report such violations," she said.

However, because their trade is illegal, sex workers rarely avail themselves of such services.

Zanale Dlamini*, a sex worker from Ezulwini said: "Even if I have a simple cold I don't go to Lobamba Clinic, everybody knows that I am a sex worker.

Although the nurses don't voice it directly at you, they act funny and make silly comments about you."

Poverty and unemployment remain the major forces pushing young Swazis into sex work.

Xoliswa Sithole*, a 24-year-old sex worker from Gundvwini said: "I looked for a job at the textile factories for five months and I got tired of "facing" (waiting outside the factory gates before being employed) there. My friends suggested that we try selling sex at Matsapha. At first I was afraid but I have now learnt the trade. I have a room at Matsapha and go home on weekends. At least I can afford food and pay for my children's school fees.

My family thinks I am working at the textile factories."

Until sex work is recognised and decriminalised in the country, desperate Swazi mothers like Sithole will continue to be raped and abused at the hands of police and other violent men. And as long as this happens the HIV prevalence rate for the entire country will only continue to rise.

Alec Lushaba is the editor of the Swazi Observer. This article is part of a special series on the 16 Days of Activism for the Gender Links Opinion and Commentary Service that offers fresh views on everyday news. For more information on the 16 Days Campaign go to www.genderlinks.org.za

GAY AND LESBIAN DISCRIMINATION

Readers who followed the saga of the way the Swazi media, church and ‘cultural’ leaders ganged up on a lesbian couple and hounded one of them into a suicide attempt after they announced a plan to marry might be interested in this article about discrimination in neighbouring South Africa.

Oliver Meth, a researcher at the University of KwaZulu Natal Centre for Civil Society, writes that ‘in some ways, South Africa is way ahead of the region when it comes to the rights of same sex couples’, but the church in South Africa still opposes ‘gay marriages’ even though they are legal in the country.

In an article for South Africa’s Gender Links, he writes, ‘Conservatism as a political movement and a way of life, needs to come to grips with the reality of gay relationships in precisely the same way it came to grips with its errors regarding to racial segregation: own up to its mistake, and simply expand its moral boundaries to include gays and gay marriage.

‘Most older conservatives now acknowledge that they once erred in “keeping blacks in their place.” They should make the same acknowledgement for gays and their right to marry, and live happy, open and contented lives in each other’s arms, without fear or discrimination.’He also corrects the stereotypes that gays are ‘promiscuous, unable to form lasting relationships, and the relationships that do form are shallow and uncommitted’.

To read the full article, go to the Gender Links Opinion and Commentary Service section here.

RAW DEAL FOR WOMEN IN SWAZI MEDIA

There are significantly fewer women in media in Swaziland than men, a new report reveals.

A ‘glass ceiling’ exists that stops women from progressing in media houses and patriarchal attitudes dictate the pace of progress in the media industry.

Swazi women face invisible barriers in most departments, although they predominate in advertising and marketing, at which they excel, and in supportive roles such as finance and administration.

Also, the gender division of labour is still alive in the allocation of news beats in Swaziland media houses. The top three beats covered by women are Science & technology, Youth, Lifestyle. For men they are Sports, Sustainable development & environment, Disaster/War/Conflict.

These are the main conclusions of a report, Glass Ceilings: Women and Men in Southern Africa Media, published by Gender Links in partnership with the Gender and Media Southern African (GEMSA) Network in Swaziland.

One of the key findings of this study is that media houses are inconsistent in their commitment to gender equality. And there are no comprehensive, systematic policies and practices to narrow the gender gap, with quotas frowned upon by male and female media practitioners alike. None of the media houses indicated that they had a sexual harassment or gender policy, and only one stated that they needed a gender policy.

Other findings are that women fill fewer senior management positions (29 percent) than men; men get better work deals: 59 percent are far more likely than women (41 percent) to be employed in open-ended, full-time contracts.

Many of the respondents in the study believe family commitments, work being too dangerous, and a lack of role models are the primary reasons why women do not enter or stay in the media industry.

Many respondents blamed the patriarchal society and cultural norms that do not see women in certain professions, much less as decision-makers in those professions.

One male told the study, ‘Women are not taken seriously in most cases, considering the Swazi culture that a man is “head of a woman”. That’s what makes women less considered for higher positions.’

And another male agreed, ‘Women and men are not treated equally. Women are still considered as minors, even at the workplace. This is a norm with our culture, thus no matter how competent they may be, they are made to be subordinate.’

Unfortunately, these views are nothing new in Swaziland. As I reported in November 2007, research among Swazi media houses showed that some male journalists found it difficult to accept women as colleagues. One told a researcher, ‘Women make lousy journalists because they are incompetent and easily intimidated.’

In the latest report Gender Links / GEMSA say there is a need for awareness-raising in media houses. Media houses also need to ensure they have functioning sexual harassment policies and that training programmes are in place to manage mainstreaming gender at the workplace and in editorial content.

To read the full report click here.