The largest global gathering on HIV and AIDS returns to Amsterdam is underway in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
The African Sex Workers Alliance (ASWA) is among hundreds of civil society organisations represented in the biennial conference is organised by the International AIDS Society, the world’s leading independent association of HIV professionals.
This year’s theme is: “Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges”, drawing attention to the need of rights-based approaches to more effectively reach key populations, including in Eastern Europe and Central Asia and the North-African/Middle Eastern regions where epidemics are growing.
ASWA’s Executive Director Daughtie Ogutu will be speaking in various plenary sessions on various topics such as the effect of continued criminalization of sex work in Africa, why sex workers will not attend the next Aids Conference scheduled to take place in San Francisco and why funding of sex worker groups in Africa is crucial.
One of the key highlights for sex workers attending the conference is the networking zone hosted by several ASWA partners such as Global Network of Sex Work Projects among others.
Among the topics of discussion in the global village include the impact of punitive laws, policies and practices on sex workers vulnerability to HIV and respect of their human rights and sex worker organising different continents.
Several ASWA members will make presentations on divergent topics in different plenary sessions.
Click here to download the Sex Work Networking Zone programme
The conference ends on 27th July.
About The Author
