African Sex Workers Alliance (ASWA) convened a powerful and timely webinar bringing together activists, movement leaders, and advocates from across Africa to unpack the growing impact of anti-rights and anti-gender narratives on sex workers and other marginalized communities.
The virtual dialogue provided a critical space for reflection, learning, and strategy-building at a moment when global and regional shifts are increasingly threatening hard-won gains in human rights, gender equality, and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).
Opening the session, moderator Brad Muracia underscored the urgency of collective engagement, emphasizing the need for coordinated responses to rapidly evolving anti-rights movements.
The discussion featured leading voices including Executive Director at Public Health Innovations Nguru Karugu and Gender Justice Advocate Mamello Sejake, who offered in-depth analyses of the historical, political, and socio-economic dimensions shaping the current landscape.
Karugu traced the roots of key global policies such as the Global Gag Rule (Mexico City Policy), highlighting how shifting political administrations—particularly in the United States—have long influenced funding flows, advocacy space, and access to health services across Africa.
He further examined instruments like the Geneva Consensus Declaration and Project 2025, noting how these frameworks strategically reframe language around “family,” “gender,” and “health” to undermine progressive human rights agendas.
“They have taken the language we used to fight for our rights and are now using it to fight us,” Karugu noted, pointing to the growing sophistication of anti-rights strategies.
A key concern raised was the deliberate co-opting of advocacy language by anti-rights actors. Karugu emphasized that terms historically used to advance gender justice and human rights are increasingly being repurposed to restrict freedoms, calling for movements to reclaim or redefine their narratives.
“We must either take our language back or create new language that reflects who we are and what we stand for,” He added.
Building on this, Sejake highlighted that anti-rights movements are not isolated or spontaneous but are highly coordinated, well-funded, and transnational.
“These are not random cultural reactions—they are deeply political and strategic efforts to reassert control over bodies, identities, and resources,” Sejake explained.
She described how global networks, often backed by conservative actors from the Global North, are shaping policies and narratives across African countries under the guise of “family values” and “religious freedom.”
The webinar also explored the tangible impacts of these trends on sex workers across the continent. Participants discussed how increasing criminalization, legal ambiguity, and moral policing have heightened vulnerability to violence, reduced access to healthcare, and intensified stigma and discrimination.
“Criminalization is not just about law—it is about disciplining marginalized people and reinforcing control over their bodies and livelihoods,” Sejake emphasized.
Particular attention was given to the compounded risks faced by marginalized groups within sex worker communities, including transgender individuals and migrants.
Participants from Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Botswana shared reflections on their national contexts, highlighting how legal inconsistencies and restrictive frameworks create dangerous grey areas that expose sex workers to exploitation while limiting access to justice.
Despite these challenges, the dialogue also emphasized resilience and resistance. Speakers highlighted successful strategies being implemented across the continent, including peer-led service delivery, community-led documentation, strategic litigation, and coalition-building with feminist, LGBTQI+, and human rights movements.
A recurring theme throughout the discussion was the importance of evidence-based advocacy and centering lived experiences.
“We need to use our lived realities, our data, and our collective voice to push back and hold systems accountable,” one participant noted during the discussion.
The webinar concluded with a strong call for intersectional organizing and solidarity.
“This is not a new crisis—it is a call to regroup, rethink, and strengthen how we organize,” said Sejake in her closing remarks.
Karugu echoed this sentiment, reminding participants of the significant progress made over the years:
“We are not where we were 20 years ago. We have the experience, the tools, and the power to push back—and we must do it together.”
As anti-rights narratives continue to evolve, the webinar reaffirmed the critical role of collaboration, innovation, and sustained advocacy in protecting and advancing the rights, dignity, and health of sex workers across Africa.
