Mzuzu Police Station on Friday organized an interface meeting with bar owners to discuss gender based violence against sex workers.
The interface is part of Local Endeavors for HIV/AIDS Prevention and Treatment Project which aims at reducing HIV transmission among key populations living with HIV/AIDS. It also offers friendly services ranging from HIV testing, ART, STI screening and treatment Family planning and counselling and gender based violence interventions.
Speaking during the meeting, District Coordinator for the project Veronica Mkandawire said the main objective of the meeting was to discuss gender based violence against sex workers. She said the project is trying to execute its interventions but some bar owners are reluctant to fight the battle
She added that if sex workers are not taken care of then the whole world is at risk since these people render services and need to be protected.
“Sex workers have been sidelined and labelled. We need to hold hands and help them be protected,” said Mkandawire.
Concurring with the coordinator, James Manda, one of the bar owners in Mzuzu said sex workers meet various gender based violence including physical, mental and sexual abuse but they were ignorant of what and where to report. He said the project is an eye opener.
In her speech, Inspector Flora Njawiri from Mzuzu Police Station encouraged bar owners to report to police on any gender based violence happening at their hotspots. She said no man should force sex workers to have unprotected sex and warned bar owners not to allow sex workers to live with their children in bars since it is not a conducive environment for the children and that is violence against children.
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