Sex Workers: What now during this Coronavirus pandemic? -By Ohaga Ohaga

Kenya’s first COVID-19 case was confirmed on March 13, 2020. Since then, a raft of measures has been instituted to protect Kenyans from acquiring the virus and transmitting it to others. Some of those mitigating measures include banning of all congressional meetings such as weddings, night clubs, bars, churches, and government and businesses community working from home. That apart, the Government of Kenya also imposed a nationwide curfew from 7 PM to 5 AM except for essential services.

One area nonetheless, that has largely been ignored by State and heavily under-reported by the media is the specific interventions put in place to address the plights of sex workers in the country. 

Sex work is illegal in Kenya and is criminalized under Sections 153 and 154 of the Penal Code. However, the mere prohibition of sex work in the country doesn’t mean that it is not happening. There are 133,674 female workers in Kenya according to the Ministry of Health.  

With the government’s dusk-to-dawn curfew, closing of all bars and nightclubs, and other lockdown measures, the life of many sex workers has been turned upside down. Unlike the government workers or business community, sex workers can’t work from home. Their trade demands that they report to the ‘office’. Their offices are mostly streets, hotels, bars, and night clubs. Places that are currently under lockdown.

The restriction of movement also means that they can’t leave their current location to other towns. The ramifications of these measures not only affect the group’s sources of income but also their psychosocial wellbeing. For instance, sex workers require safe spaces where they can freely share their issues. With the lockdowns, these places aren’t accessible. 

Just like every other citizen, sex workers have responsibilities. Some have families, while others have elderly parents that rely on them. With economies collapsing and employer’s laying-off staff, sex workers have little alternatives to look for sources of income. Given the above, and in consideration of their status as citizens, the group equally deserve the government’s attention and intervention during this pandemic – their profession notwithstanding.

As is, sex work is already a high risk and highly stigmatizing job. Sex workers face constant police harassment, ridicule by the society, condemnation by religious groups, and discrimination by health care personnel in many health facilities. 

As much as sections 153 and 154 of the Penal Code criminalizes sex work in Kenya, Article 43 of the Kenyan Constitution guarantees that every person has the right to the highest attainable standard of health, including the right to health care services. To fight COVID-19 experts have urged nations not to leave anybody behind. The survival of one citizen depends on the survival of another. Fighting COVID-19 is not an individual initiative rather a joint and collective venture. Anyone left behind is a real threat to any progress made in managing the pandemic. This is why the government must find means of reaching this cohort to help in flattening the curve. To neglect them would only negate the positive progress already made. 

What happens if we don’t?

With nothing to do for a living, no government stipends, or food subsidies, sex workers may take the risk of going back to work even if it means risking arrest. Already, there are reports that some sex workers are renting houses to accommodate their customers. Going by the comments from Eastleigh and Kawangware during mass testing, Kenyans are more afraid of dying of hunger than COVID-19. This means that if the government doesn’t come forth to address the cohort’s plight, sex workers may decide to violate the government directives through bribery of the authorities to allow them to work just so that they can get something to eat. By the time the government realizes, it will be too late. 

What can be done?

The government must guarantee that all sex workers are safe by reaching them with safety information on COVID-19. This can be done via messages, or WhatsApp. The government to work closely with sex workers’ registered organizations, and peer groups to offer food subsidies and stipends. The state to provide prevention kits e.g. hand sanitizers and masks at the various hotspots for all sex workers. County Health Departments to ensure sex workers access health services including guidance and counseling, psychosocial and mental health support. The Ministry of Health to set-up health stations/desks within health facilities to act as COVID-19 response point for sex workers. Health ministry to ensure that all other services e.g. refills for drugs, condoms, and lubricants and sexual reproductive health services are accessed without interruption. County governments to support GBVRCs to respond to any violations faced by sex workers such as police harassment while enforcing the curfew orders. The ministry of health and development partners like UNCHR, UNAIDS, CBOs, to continue with online sensitization and safety tips to prevent violence. 

Ohaga Ohaga is a Kenyan Journalist, Writer, and Communication Specialist with special interest in Media Law and Political Communication. He remains a close observer of, and participant in, Journalism and the Media.