The United Nations Population Fund(UNFPA) will be leading the efforts of the UN system in the area of female sex work to intensify the HIV/AIDS response towards this vulnerable group. In this sense, UNFPA will advocate for the elimination of violence against female sex workers (FSW) and initiate new programmes and services that will empower FSW and meet their sexual
reproductive health needs.“Female sex workers deserve a comprehensive package of services including reproductive health, legal and social services,” said UNFPA Representative Ms. Junko Sazaki, addressing the participants at an interaction programme on people in vulnerable occupation and HIV/AIDS organized on 7 September.“Response toward commercial sex work needs to be comprehensive and scaled up in order to prevent HIV/AIDS as well as to ensure that sexual reproductive health (SRH) needs are met.” “The reproductive health needs of FSWs are not adequately addressed by the current initiatives added UNFPA HIV/AIDS Officer Ms. Manju Karki. “We need to address the overall health promotion of sex workers and not just HIV/AIDS”. In the interaction programme on people in vulnerable occupation and HIV/AIDS co-organised by UNFPA, UNAIDS -the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS and sex worker groups, FSW
networks representatives shared how women are compelled to practice sex work and condemned the NGOs, government and civil society for denying that discriminatory practices exist as the circumstances that lead them to pick up this profession. They also shared stories of incidents in which women have been
physically and sexually abused by clients and also by security personnel. Present at the event, high level representatives of Nepal Police acknowledged the perpetration of uniformed personnel on female sex workers, but stated that, as a result of a dedicated HIV/AIDS Strategy and Operational Plan of Nepal Police and corresponding activities, the situation was improving. Ms. Sapana Malla Pradhan, advocate, a speaker at the interaction, mentioned that because of Nepal’s institutional structure, social values, beliefs and current legal parameter FSW were facing violence, stigma and discrimination and that a strong provision to criminalize the crimes perpetrators was needed. She also suggested that the revised interim constitutional draft should spell out a clear reference on discrimination and violence against female sex workers”. It was highlighted that, because of violence and discrimination, FSW are at risk to HIV transmission and do not receive the needed services for HIV prevention.
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Publisher:
UNFPA, UNAIDS
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(2006
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Type / Script:
Press Release
in English
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Keywords:
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN, FAMILY HEALTH, HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE, ACCEPTANCE, RIGHTS OF WOMEN, FEMALE SEX WORKS, HIV INFECTIONS, ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY, VIRAL DISEASES, HIGHLY ACTIVE ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY, BLOOD SAFETY, DISCRIMINATION, ADVOCATE, HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION, HIV/AIDS, VULNERABLE GROUPS, SEXUAL REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH, SEXUALLY ABUSED, PHYSICAL VIOLENCE, SECURITY PERSONNEL, COMFORT WOMEN, SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASE, INTERIM CONSTITUTION, SAFETY, SECURITY, CRIMINALIZE,RIGHT TO HEALTHY LIFE
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Thematic Group:
UNAIDS
:
HIV/AIDS
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Thesaurus:
10.03.01
- Disease Prevention And Control
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Reference Link:
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