things that are [not] our way of life
on March 25, 2008
Category: African Women
Sexworkers from across East Africa have been prevented from attending a workshop in Entebbe, Uganda organised by the OSI and Ugandan women’s organisation, Akina Mama wa Africa. The “ethics” minister didn’t like the idea of the women coming together to “devise ways of spreading their vice”. Sounds like he should get together with the organisers of the Million Woman March here in London -
“We call it a vice because in Uganda it’s an illegality which is punishable by seven years [in jail],” Ethics Minister Nsaba Buturo said when he announced the ban last week.
“Uganda’s made a decision that homosexuality, prostitution and those things are not our way of life. Anyone who violates them really will deserve what they get,” he added.
Tags:
Uganda
Sexworkers
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5 Comments so far
1. acolyte
March 26th, 2008 at 12:45 am
Maybe what the government needs to do is to find ways and means for women to support themselves so that they dont have to be prostitutes.
2. Feministe ยป Tasty Blog Bits: Badass Coverage of International Feminisms edition
March 26th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
[…] Looks isn’t on your RSS feed, add it. In the past few days alone, she’s posted about sex workers from East Africa being denied entrance into a women’s conference in Uganda; class-based organizing in Britain turning racist; and a Cameroonian woman winning a lawsuit […]
3. Changeseeker
March 26th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
I agree totally with acolyte. But at the same time, I’m wondering how all those sex workers keep house and home together NOW if “that” is not “our” way of life. Men who like to be “Ethics Ministers” (and such) are often the very ones who — behind closed doors — are the first and worst at practicing those things they SO decry in public.
4. Loomnie
March 26th, 2008 at 4:24 pm
We are facebook friends.. guess we connected through Szavanna. Just stumbled on your blog today and I know I have to come back for a more proper visit. Great work!
5. Mwangi - the Displaced African
March 27th, 2008 at 1:41 am
I second acolyte’s statements. Banning them from the event should be taken as an opportunity to address the conditions that drive them to prostitution in the first place. Reduces the cost of ‘clearing them from the CBD” any time the colonials from Britain come for a visit.