Violence Against Women Who Sell Sex in Eastern and Southern Africa: A Scoping Review

• Published in: Trauma, Violence, & Abuse Vol. 25; no. 1; pp. 691 - 703
• Main Authors: Macleod, Catriona Ida, Reynolds, John Hunter, Delate, Richard
• Format: Book Review Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01-01-2024; Sage Publications Ltd
• Subjects: Adolescent; Africa South of the Sahara; Africa, Southern; Aggression; Female; Gender-based violence; Health services; HIV; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Low income groups; Male; Methodological problems; Prevalence; Prostitution; Reproductive health; Sex; Sex industry; Sex Work; Sexual Behavior; Sexually transmitted diseases; STD; Violence; Violence against women; Women; Africa South of the Sahara; Africa, Southern; South Africa; women who sell sex; Eastern Africa; GBV; sex workers; Southern Africa; violence
• ISSN: 1524-8380; 1552-8324
• DOI: 10.1177/15248380231160847

Women who sell sex (WSS) are vulnerable to violence. We present a scoping review of the last decade of research on the prevalence and incidence of, factors associated with, and services regarding violence against WSS in Eastern and Southern African (ESA). A systematic search of various databases resulted in 20 papers being reviewed. Inclusion criteria, applied by the first two authors, were as follows: empirical papers, key research problem is violence against WSS, and conducted in ESA countries. The lifetime prevalence of violence revealed in the studies ranged from 21% to 82%. A pattern of generalized violence against WSS from paying clients, male partners, strangers, family members, friends/acquaintances, and the authorities emerged. Factors associated with violence included the context within which the sex work occurs, alcohol use, type of sex exchange interactions, and personal factors (low education, low income, marriage, youth, high client volume, time in sex work, forced sexual debut, and internalized sex work stigma). WSS seldom access services after violence. Evaluations of two programs, a woman-focused HIV intervention, and the Diagonal Interventions to Fast-Forward Reproductive Health project, showed improvements in gender-based violence services. Findings suggest that targeted programmes should be paired with improving general health services and focus on promoting collective agency among WSS.