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| Sisonke Sex Worker Movement This article was written by sex workers who have been instrumental in forming the Sisonke sex worker movement. The time has come. At last sex workers have decided that they no longer want to wait for the law to change. At the second annual National Sex Worker Meeting more or less 75 sex workers from all the provinces formed a movement of sex workers to unite for change.Sisonke (which means togetherness) was formed. It is a movement which plans to be the voice of sex workers. We plan to educate and protect sex workers from authorities and also from their harsh work environment. Sex workers are stigmatised and this industry is ignored despite the fact that it is a trade practiced for many years. Most workers support a family or extended families and have to live a lie within their community for fear of condemnation. | Sisonke says that now is the time to come forward and remove the stigma. It is time to educate the public and to change the perception that criminal activity is the sole climate in which we operate. Criminals have been able to operate under the guise of sex work because sex work is a criminal offence. We plan to host our first Sisonke Western Cape meeting on the 25th January 2004. We hope that it will be attended by both the indoor and outdoor industry. We need to discuss a way forward and plan for the rest of the new year.All sex workers are invited. To enquire and obtain details call Sabrina or Dean at 418 5343 / 084 806 9686. Take not flight
From this our plight
Pave the way to speak and unite
We are Human And have a right
(Sabrina) | Second National Sex Worker Meeting! At the meeting a movement with the name Sisonke [togetherness] was launched as a sex worker lead movement. From the 21st to the 23rd of October the second National Sex Worker Meeting was held in Worcester. There were approximately seventy sex workers from across South Africa that participated in the meeting. Sex workers from Worcester, Beaufort West, Cape Town, King Williams Town, Rustenburg, Port Elizabeth, Durban, Chatsworth, Carletonville, Johannesburg and Hillbrow attended the meeting. The meeting was held to see how sex workers could organise and to look at how they could work if the laws that make sex work a crime were to change. Themes in the meeting included the effect of local government by-laws on sex work, the current legal situation regarding sex work, sex worker activism, and looking at sex work as a job.
The meeting concluded with the following main points: - Sex workers need to actively input to issues of self regulation and codes of good practise for the sex work industry
- Participation of sex workers in changing the law by making submissions and writing letters to, for example the South African Law Reform Commission
- That sex workers should campaign for the right to be treated as workers with access to labour laws
- Sex workers at the meeting spoke of the need to build solidarity amongst themselves
- There was discussion of the fact that police violence was a common experience for sex workers across the country
| Conference: “Towards Sex Worker Rights: Developing New Strategies” | | SWEAT, the Women’s Legal Centre and the Gender Project of the Community Law Centre hosted a conference to talk about the laws that impact on sex workers. The conference covered what SWEAT and other organisations have done in the past to respond to these laws and to look at new strategies towards getting the laws changed that criminalise sex work. We also had a delegation of sex workers taking part who had been elected at the National Sex Workers Meeting in Worcester. They were active in sharing experiences of the law on the ground as well as what organisations could be doing to assist sex workers in improving working conditions. Guest speaker was Tim Barnett, a Member of Parliament from New Zealand who had helped to get a law passed that decriminalises sex work in New Zealand. He spoke about his work with the New Zealand Prostitutes Collective [NZPC] as he acted for them in Parliament to get the law passed. The NZPC is a sex worker led organisation that does very similar work to SWEAT but the big difference is that sex workers and/or ex-sex workers run the organisation. | The new law in New Zealand means that sex workers are considered workers and have access to employment rights and benefits. Street based sex work is also legal and the police only act against drug use and real crime, they cannot arrest anyone who is selling sex. The law does allow for the police to act against anyone who forces someone into selling sex and anyone who sells the services of children [under 18yrs]. The law is therefore protecting sex workers rights and trying to stop the harmful practices like underage sex workers and persons being forced into sex work. Tim said that what he heard from the sex workers present at the conference was very disturbing, particularly around police harassment and violence. That the present law in South Africa was immoral as it resulted in much suffering and pain for sex workers and did not address any of the so-called moral reasons that it was made for. SWEAT will be following up with all organisations that attended to get more actively involved in law reform in 2004. |
Lubricant (the whys, the how's and the how to’s)
Many sex workers have told us that they don’t use lubricant. Using lube is important and useful. Here are some common questions and relevant facts explaining why its important to use lubricant.Why does one need lubricant? - To ensure that condoms don’t break
- Lubricant will make things smoother and give you added protection
- A lubricant replaces or adds to your body’s natural lubrication
- Lubricant keeps everything from drying out and getting sore
- To prevent small tears in the vagina or anus during rougher sex
- Lubricant reduces stress and drag on the condom, making the condom less likey to slip off or tear
How do I use lubricant? - Put the lube on after you put on the condom
- Using a lot of lubricant on the outside of the condom increases 'slip' and thus comfort for both people
- Add more lube during sex if it takes the client a long time to come. Dry condoms break more easily
Which lubricants are best? - Always use a water-based lube (such as KY Jelly, Astroglide, Aqua Lube, Wet, Foreplay, Probe or Foreplay)
- Silicon based lubricants (like Wet Platinum) last longer and are also safe to use with latex condoms, but are more expensive and harder to find
- Remember to always check that the lubricant you use is both water-based and water-soluble (it should be indicated on the sachet or tube)
What is not safe to use as a lubricant? - Never use lubricant that is petroleum or oil based as petroleum or oil based products will break down latex and damage condoms
- Petroleum based lubricants also adhere to delicate tissues and are difficult to remove with water if you wash yourself afterwards
- DO NOT use vaseline, hand creams, massage oils, baby oil, butter or lotions as a lubricant as they contain oil and oil breaks latex condoms
Some reviews of different kinds lubricants.
One of the better known lubricants is KY jelly. KY is a thick and jelly-like lubricant that is quite quickly absorbed and may need to be re-applied frequently during sex. Astroglide is reported to have the most natural feel as it feels very similar to the body’s natural lubricant 'mucin'. It is seen to be the best lubricant in terms of working against vaginal dryness as astroglide was developed for exactly this purpose. It looks expensive - but it lasts so well that only a small amount is normally needed. For those who don’t mind re-applying lubricant often or who like to use wetter lubricants; Bodywise Liquid Silk, Wet Light or TLC could be used as they are inexpensive and available in big bottles. Other alternative lubricants that are safe, not expensive and freely available are egg white and plain yoghurt. What about infections?
Some of the people we have spoken to complain that they get vaginal infections when they use lubricants. Water based lubricant that contains no spermicide will not irritate your skin or cause vaginal infections any more than water would. In the past some lubricants like KY Jelly contained spermicides that may have caused vaginal infections. So to avoid this problem make sure that you buy a lubricant that is both water-based and water-soluble and that doesn’t contain spermicide. Where could I get some?
You can buy lubricant from your local pharmacy or adult store. Some pharmacies stock lubricant in easy to carry sachets or small tubes. | What’s Hot at SWEAT? - SWEAT has a DROP IN TIME for sex workers every Wednesday afternoon at 1 o’clock. You can pop in for coffee and sandwiches or just relax in the lounge and chat
- Fundiswa, gave birth to a healthy baby boy on the 3rd of December and is on maternity leave
- Phumeza Ndidi will be working at SWEAT while Fundi is home with her baby
- NEW STAFF MEMBERS at SWEAT are John Mentiey who started in October 2003 and Wendy Voogt who started working with us on the 14th of November 2003. John is the Outreach worker at SWEAT and is involved in condom distribution and training. Wendy is the Advocacy Co-ordinator at SWEAT and her main duties are around calling for changes in the laws that affect sex workers.
Just so you know…
who the old staff are and and what they do: - Jayne Arnott is the Director of SWEAT
- Vivienne Lalu is the Training Co-ordinator
- Nicolé Fick is SWEAT’s Researcher
- Fundiswa is the Administrator
READY TO PARTY?
SWEAT will be having a Christmas party on Monday the 15th of December, starting at 8pm in the hall at Community House. The theme for the evening is the night of a thousand stars and everyone gets to dress up as their favourite movie (or TV) star. Please contact John at 448 7875 to find out if there are still seats/places available for the party. Due to limited space we will only be admitting those of you who have an invitation.
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