The Sexual Offences Act of 1957 prohibits sex work. It has its roots in the archaic Immorality Act, which outlawed same-sex relationships and relationships between black and white. Yet the Sexual Offences Act is seldom used to prosecute sex workers — probably because it is hard to catch someone in the sex act and to prove it was for financial gain.
It’s taken tears, anger, demonstrations, speeches and prayers. It’s taken court battles and HIV+ T-shirts worn with pride. But Aids advocacy and activism have taken a momentous path in the past few years. It was only five years ago that the Johannesburg General Hospital decided to close its HIV clinic.
No image available
/ 9 December 2005
I am perplexed. In the past few years, I have grappled with why the post-1996 women’s movement (in whatever way one wants to define it) has not taken up HIV/Aids in South Africa as a flaming, life-and-death issue. If women’s voices had been heard more loudly and coherently they might have responded to the Aids crisis with urgency and wisdom.