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State and police violence towards sex workers during COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on marginalized communities. For sex workers in Tanzania, their access to healthcare, most critically to ART/PREP medication, was cut off as hospitals focused solely on COVID-related care and mobility was policed. In one case documented by our partners, an HIV positive sex worker who could not afford and access ART medication due to lack of funds and availability succumbed to the condition.

A program was started by our partners where sex workers could go and pick up medication for their peers and deliver it to them. However, high transportation costs during the lockdown and police hostility limited the reach and effectiveness of the program.

Police brutalities intensified as access to legal remedies was cut off due to shutting down of courts during the lockdown and sex workers could not negotiate their safety from the police by paying bribes with money and sex.

Community led organizations came to a conclusion that decriminalization is a prerequisite for survival of the community during emergencies alongside sensitizing the police on sex work. And developing additional skills and streams of income generation as well as uninterrupted access to healthcare was the solution for mitigating crises of this nature.

Artwork by Gift Kyansimare.

Story curated by UHAI-EASHRI.

View the illustrated story here.