SANERELA+ Religious Leaders Attending Training Workshop On The 24TH Of April At Tac South Africa

On the 24th of April 2024 SANERELA+ conducted a training workshop to become agents of change on key issues affecting sexual workers including climate change, and SRHR using the Religious Leaders Training Manual in Johannesburg TAC center.  At least 21 Religious leaders attended. The workshop was being facilitated by Loyiso Saliso from Sisonke. The participants were taken through modules one to four from the Hands-Off Manual. Besides the module, the facilitator managed to incorporate to a larger extend basic human rights which from the sex worker point of view are continuously being violated by communities, law enforcements agencies. The Religious leaders highlighted a number of incidences where sex workers are abused, and their rights violated. Even though South Africa is moving towards decriminalization of sex work, abuses of sex workers are still rampant in the society. One major incident That participants highlighted a major abuse that is still prevalent in South Africa where Taxi owners would roundup sex workers and beat them up and influence the police to arrest, lock sex workers in their police vans for the whole day without charge. The Taxi owners complain about sex workers selling their services to Taxi drivers at Taxi ranks thereby affecting Taxi drivers from executing their duties efficiently. The Religious during the workshop provoked the discussion with the facilitator from the basic rights point of view. They strongly emphasized the need for Religious leaders to mobilise and engage the Taxi owners and the police on the issue with the goal of making sure the abuse stops and perpetrators faces the law. The participants were generous enough to highlight their shortcomings regarding handling sex work issues especial on their position as custodians of religion against the rights of sex workers. The need to fuse the basic rights and the narratives of the word of God.

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