Female sex workers in Mwanza have expressed concern for the unfair treatment from female officers at Mwanza Police Station when they seek assistance after being abused sexually by clients.
The sex workers have since called upon authorities to address the problem.
The plea was made Tuesday by Mwanza Female Sex Workers (FSW) Association Chairperson, Angella Mwazemba at a stakeholders interface meeting organised by Centre for Human Rights Education Advice and Assistance (CHREAA) with funding from Southern Africa Litigation Centre aimed at getting feedback from the association and the stakeholders in the district.
“Some female police officers do not treat us with privacy instead they shout at us in public when we go to complain about cases of abuse and harassment faced in the course of our normal dutie,” she said.
According to Mwazemba, the officers always say: “how can we help you yet you are the ones snatching other people’s husbands.”
She explained that among the challenges the sex workers report to the police include being beaten up by customers, unpaid dues after providing services to a customer and other forms of sexual abuse and harassment.
In an interview, Mwanza Police Station Victim Support Unit Coordinator, Graciano Chirombo assured the participants at the meeting that female sex workers will be treated equally like anyone else at Mwanza Police Station.
“As we go back, we are going to scale up human rights awareness targeting all the members of staff and also strengthen coordination with the community structures for the creation of conducive environment to all the citizens in the district and that can result into improved service delivery,” said Chirombo.
CHREAA District Paralegal Officer, Boxten Kudziwe commended participants at the meeting for being able to raise issues they feel violate rights which his organisation promotes.
Reported by Brian Wasili
