The African Sex Workers Alliance (ASWA) is proud to be participating in the ongoing STI & HIV 2025 World Congress, taking place from July 26 to 30 in Montreal, Quebec. The congress, a landmark global platform for advancing scientific dialogue and community engagement on HIV and STIs, has welcomed over 5,000 delegates, including leading researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and grassroots advocates.
ASWA’s participation underscores the critical importance of centering sex worker-led research, advocacy, and lived experiences in global health dialogues. Representing a diverse network of sex workers across the African continent, ASWA delegates have engaged in sessions on co-creation of knowledge, rights-based health interventions, and meaningful community inclusion.
In one of the key highlights, ASWA presented during a co-creation panel, showcasing how the organization moves research from an academic exercise into a tool for liberation and social justice. ASWA emphasized the power of participatory research models that are developed with and for sex worker communities, ensuring that the challenges prioritized by those most affected inform evidence-based, community-centered solutions.
“This congress is not just an academic gathering—it’s a critical moment to advance science, influence policy, and demand justice for those too often left behind,” said Grace Kamau, ASWA Regional Coordinator.
ASWA’s presence is a reminder that ending HIV and STI epidemics as public health threats requires equity, community ownership, and political will. The organization remains committed to amplifying the voices of sex workers, advocating for human rights, and ensuring that no one is left behind in the global HIV response.
