allAfrica.com: Mauritius: Sex Workers Unprotected From Violence (Page 1 of 1)

Though Southern Africa is seeing increasing opportunities and rights for women, protection from gender violence continues to be elusive for those engaged in sex work. Some people even argue that sex workers cannot be victims of rape at all. Moreover, when they are victims of violence or sexual assault, few receive help from police or health services. Many turn to drugs or alcohol.

Not a day goes by without the media in Mauritius mentioning cases of rape, sexual abuse and sexual violence against women, including gang rape of girls as young as 14. Yet, what we see and hear in the media is only one side of the coin. The other gloomy side is the hundred of cases that remain unreported.

Behind closed doors, thousands of women keep secrets of all sorts of violence. Of the 239 cases of gender violence officially reported at the ministry of Women from January to May 2007, it is unlikely that a single one will be from a sex worker. Statistics are blind when it comes to sex workers. There is a general perception that rape and violence form part of their work.

Three years ago 'Chrysalide', the first and only rehabilitation and residential centre for women drug users, opened its doors. According to Georgette Talary, one of its responsible officers, drugs, prostitution, and HIV-AIDS are all related. It is a vicious circle. Pimps and partners encourage women to inject themselves so that they can go into prostitution. Once they get hooked on drugs, they want more not only for themselves but also for their greedy pimps and partners. Chrysalide is a real haven for the 150 women who have passed through its door. During group therapy, words are not enough to express all the horrors, nightmares, assaults and violence these women have been through.

Dorlene (not her real name) recounts how she was sold by a pimp without her knowledge. It was only when the car stopped to pick up four other men that she realised she had been lied to. "It is only question of how I prefer to die. I have been through this ordeal before. They not only raped me but, while one was doing the act, the others were giving instructions on how and what to do. I, therefore, tried my luck, opened the door, and jumped out. I spent the night in a sugar cane field."

Another one told us how she looked at the sky and prayed that God would take her life while she was being raped and all sorts of dreadful things being done to her. In Mauritius, women and young girls go into sex work for a variety of reasons. Very often, we hear of cases where parents force young girls into prostitution so that they bring money home. Mothers engage in sex work to feed their children. Partners convince young women. Sugar daddies, promising Nike shoes or Quick Silver T-shirts, tempt young girls.

Partners convince young women

At the upcoming Southern African Heads of State Summit in Lusaka this month, one of the issues on the table will most likely be the proposed upgrading of the 1997 SADC Gender and Development Declaration and 1998 Addendum on Prevention and Eradication of Violence against Women and Children, into a Protocol.

Yet, for this Protocol to truly impact on women's lives, there is a need to ensure that the rights of all women are protected, including the most marginalised. All SADC Heads of State have signed the Convention of the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women. It defines violence against women as "any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life."

Yet many countries in the region, including Mauritius, fail to protect women who do sex work. Many report that they have been beaten, raped, assaulted and even denied the right to exist. According to some, the very same people who are supposed to be the guarantors of law and order have raped quite a few of them. Many women at Chrysalide recount how, when they were on the streets, their children had to bear the stigma and humiliation of friends refusing to sit close to them. "Our children preferred not to go to school as nobody would sit by their side. They were branded as being HIV positive and the kids were afraid of contracting the virus," one woman said.

Georgette Talary mentions that even living at Chrysalide can be hard for young people. "We have a young and bright girl who is staying with her mum at the moment. She prefers to walk a long distance rather than stop at the right bus stop to return home in the afternoon. She does not want her friends to know that home is Chrysalide."

Over 90% of new HIV cases in Mauritius are through injecting drug users and over 75% of the women in Chrysalide are HIV positive. "They are safer with us as they go for medical check-up in a specialised centre for HIV patients regularly and once a week a doctor visits them in the Centre. We make sure they take their medication as they should and everything is given for free," Georgette Talary said.

Life is not easy at Chrysalide. The rules are very strict. Yet there is also time to relax, to work and a time to produce something concrete. The women are busy raising chickens, planting vegetables, making candles or other handicrafts. They also get basic literacy classes, as most of them have never been to school. "We take them on educational tours from time to time. They even participated in a focus group discussion on gender and advertisements organised by Media Watch Organisa- tion-GEMSA." Georgette Talary explained.

The main concern of the management of Chrysalide is finding proper accommodation for the women after their rehabilitation period. Most of them do get jobs as private companies and hotels are quite sensitive to this issue. "There is even one of them who is now a trainer. She does lots or sensitisation and awareness campaigns in NGOs. She is also a field worker for the needle exchange programme. The fact that a former drug user and former sex worker is now in full control of her life is a role model for others. She is helping the others to come to terms with their traumatic experiences."

The Rs 25 million that Rama Sithanen, minister of Finance, has earmarked in the 2007-2008 budget for the social re-integration of vulnerable women have not gone into deaf ears. Marlene Ladine, manager of Chrysalide, will soon send a project to the minister of Finance to empower the clients of Chrysalide even more.

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