As the World marks the 14th International Sex Worker’s Rights Day today, Nigerian Sex Workers have joined their counterparts in some countries to demand for legal recognition of their trade as a job.Some of the told P.M. NEWS that the time had come for the Nigerian government to grant them their due recognition and further recognize the important role they play in society as human beings trying to keep body and soul going. The ‘Profession’ should be considered Legitimate enough to put a stop to its discrimination and stigmatization. They claim that two thirds of women practice PROSTITUTION in one form or another. Women should stop pretending and accept that majority of them give SEX for CASH.
Though many of them did not realize that a day like this was set aside for them until they were told, they also called on rights activists to assist them gain the desired recognition.
“See, many people, including you, do not see us as human beings. In your mind, we are a condemned set of Nigerians who sell their bodies so cheaply, but that thought is not right,” Jane, a lady from Eastern Nigeria (Igbo) who operates at a brothel close to the Railway Line in Agege Lagos, told our correspondent.
Her colleague, a 27-year-old from Southern Nigeria (Yoruba), said « If our rights are recognized and our profession legalized, we could and will pay highly needed taxes to the Government and we will be seen as decent people in the society., not outcasts.
“In many countries abroad, Sex Workers pay their taxes. There is no discrimination, they can sue and even have streets, mainly in Red Light Districts allocated specifically to them to carry out their trades.
“But here in Nigeria, we are faced with rejection from the society, serious harassment by the police, and victimization by very customers who come to enjoy our bodies.
“You can imagine a customer who rushes into this place in a desperate bid to ease himself, jumps at one of us after a bargain and brutally rides like a horse on top of us only to renege on the agreement on how much he should pay. Can you imagine? You sustain the weight of a pot belly idiot who comes begging for Sex and once that his nonsense comes out, he refuses to pay. If we have our rights, we could call for his arrest without shame or molestation from the very Security Agents (who are also our customers) and other Nigerians,” she explained. Nigeria should Legalize Prostitution.
In a brothel just a few meters away, another Sex Worker, Judith, told our correspondent that many prostitutes have various reasons for taking up the “Business.”
In her own case, she had traveled out of the country primarily to “hustle » in Spain. But she was deported even before reaching her destination.
“It was a tough experience and I started sleeping with men as we moved from one country to another just to get money to survive. I stayed two months in Morocco gathering money, but just days to my entering Spain, I was caught with other 80 women and men and sent back to Nigeria. I was even shocked that in an Arab country like Morocco, the Muslim men wanted Sex even more than our own Naija men. I was forced to « Service » about 16 men a day.
“I am from Agbor in Delta State but couldn’t go back to my place of origin because of the shame. So I took up residency in this place « Servicing » men daily and making good money. I’m even more comfortable here now and I make good money, about N22,000 every week,” she said.
In another brothel located behind the Lock-up shops in Iyana-Ipaja, Philo, a 30-year old, who said she never heard that s*e*x workers had such a day in their honor, said it would be good for government to give them legal backing, since according to her most of their « Customers » are Government Civil Servants, Military Officers, Politicians and even Church Pastors.
“We can be seen as Social Workers assisting men who can’t summon the courage to ‘Toast’ women, who are downtrodden and can’t maintain having a full-time girlfriend or wife as well as those who love variety.
“Ordinarily, without us, there would be much depression among men in the country. If you see what we have to bear sometimes, dirty men, stinking mouths, fat bellies, snoring babas and a lot more. How many normal women on the streets of Nigeria can accommodate that?” she asked.
Her colleague, who gave her name as Eki (meaning market in Bini language), said granting recognition for Legal Prostitution in Nigeria is the best thing Government could do for them.
“In many parts of the world, women are not ashamed to say they are « Ashawos » because they are recognized and they are part and parcel of their society. They are « Bread Weaners » in their families and pay tuition for their own kids to attend colleges.
“In the case of Nigeria, we just overlook the daily insults from both children and adults as well as the usual harassment from the Police just to keep hope alive.
“Sincerely, we are not regarded as members of the society, we don’t have the freedom to do what we like because of the stigma. If the Government cannot provide us jobs or put us on a welfare scheme to prevent us from taking to this means of livelihood, then it should recognize us as a Legitimate Professional entity,” she said.
She also called for support from non-government and rights organizations, saying they are in a better position to help in the fight.
The International Sex Workers’ Rights Day is marked on 3 March every year to call the world’s attention to the plight of s*e*x workers and demand for their rights.
With the red umbrella as its symbol, the day came into existence in 2001 with a protest of over 25,000 s*e*x workers organized by the Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee in India.
In South Africa, Sisonke, the only movement of s*e*x workers in the country is commemorating the day with a march across streets to call for an end to injustices against s*e*x workers and demand the recognition of prostitution as a legitimate job.
Source: News Express
