STOP TELLING BLACK WOMEN WHAT TO DO WITH THEIR HAIR OR SKIN!

A woman’s body seems to be the one thing everyone wants to control. Country, religion or even gender is not a barrier, everyone wants to tell a woman what to do with her body and that include her fellow women.  No surprise there, even ‘gods’ seems obsessed with women, but really what is this growing trend about women who should know better, telling other women what to do with their hair and/or skin? Why are many black women focused on controlling other sisters’ body, hair and skin? What is all this talk about black African women accusing other black sisters of not being African enough because of their choice of hair style or body cream?

Since the craze for Brazilian weaves, Chinese weaves and even human hair amongst black African women, with a large demand from Nigerian women, many African men and some women have come out to condemn this as a sign of inferiority complex. It is becoming mundane to come across yet another post from fellow women and some self-styled ‘Real Africans’, questioning the choice of black women who use chemicals on their hair or skin.

Recently, there was a furore when a respected, award winning female novelist of Nigerian origin was ‘mis’ quoted as saying. “African women wearing artificial hair attachments have low self esteem and inferiority complex”.  I am glad that she didn’t use the words attributed to her but even the words she used are not totally free from the “If you do not do it this way, you have some underlying issues and therefore not a real African woman” tone.  To quote her: “For many black women, the idea of wearing their hair naturally is unbearable”.

Sentiments like these are unfortunately gaining grounds amongst black women. It is no longer surprising to read such comments from female friends on facebook newsfeeds and even amongst a few male atheists, some of whom confuse non belief in God with a condemnation of colonialism, rejection of its Abrahamic God and so called ‘western values’.  

Of course some of us find the idea of wearing our hair the natural way ‘unbearable’. No, this has nothing to do with inferiority complex or self esteem, it is just that for some African women, leaving our hair the natural way causes headache. If only I had a penny for the number of times women have said that when they start having headaches, they know it is time to bring out the relaxer and retouch their natural hair underneath their weave on!

Also, some of us do not have fond memories of plaiting our hair. As a young school girl, I used to dread going to the local hairdresser, which btw is not a fancy hair salon, but just a woman down the street with a stool, and a queue of young school girls waiting to braid their hair in the style chosen for the week by their schools. Flashbacks of being squeezed between the laps of the hair stylist and my head forced under the sometimes smelly thighs of the ‘onidiri’ do not invoke good memories. I also remember tears falling down my face because plaiting natural hair could be painful. As soon as I had a choice, I decided to do away with plaiting my hair and immediately settled for ‘punky’ low cuts in high school.  

Yes, some of us find plaiting our natural hair “unbearable”, not because we hate it or its ‘Africaness’, but because the hard texture often makes plaiting our hair physically unbearable. Of course, strengthening it with chemicals makes it less painful to plait.  Even now, I wouldn’t dream of braiding my hair without first applying relaxer to the hair undergrowth, to not do that would be pure torture! Men who really don’t know a shit about women’s hair should shut the fuck up!

Women who are advocates of natural hair should stress the importance of choice. Natural hair might be your pet project, do not present it as anything more than that, it is a matter of individual choice. You would be bigoted to present it as a right or wrong thing; opinions are a dime a many, stop forcing your opinions down the throat of others.

I must confess that I am not a fan of weaves.  All that weaving and plaiting gives me headache. Also, I like to run my fingers through my hair and be able to feel my scalp; this wouldn’t be possible if I had weave on, as the tight cornrows, plaits and added weave covers the scalps. I am a ‘braid’ person, I find that long braids satisfies me in more ways than one. OK, I have a fetish for sensuous long dreadlocks in men and women! 

However, I find it hypocritical that some black women condemn other black women for wearing weaves. You claim any African woman who wears weaves is suffering from low self esteem and not a real African, yet you make this claim while batting your false eye lashes, clawing with your fake nails, standing menacingly in  your high heels, your pouting lips covered in red lipstick and your heaving boobs heavily supported by a Victoria secret bra. In what universe are these accessories African?  

The hypocrisy surrounding the condemnation of skin lightening.

While some black women vociferously defend the use of weaves, they however have no qualms about condemning black women who tones, lightens or bleach their skin. They gleefully accuse such women of suffering from inferiority complex. They claim that black women who use lightening creams hate being African. Basically, they throw the same words used against the use of weaves to condemn the use of skin lightening creams. Even though they reject and speak against using such condemnations to refer to women who use weaves, they have no qualms about throwing same words at black women who use lightening creams. Sounds like double standards to me.  Those claims are in most cases absurd and definitely constitute a fallacy of generalization.  What about white people who tan their skin or use tanning lotions to have a darker skin tone?  Are they suffering from inferiority complex from nonexistent black colonialists?

Very high percentage of African women uses lightening creams. The use varies from mild toning to heavy ‘bleaching’ which I’d rather refer to as ‘skin  lightening’ due to the derogatory and offensive meaning the word “bleaching’ has acquired within the black community. We must understand that people have a right over their body; they have the autonomy to choose how they want to treat their body. We might not like their choice, but it is their body. Yes, using lightening creams have side effects; it isn’t the healthiest choice out there. But then, so do smoking, drinking alcohol, constant consumption of fatty foods, fizzy drinks, wearing high heels and having consensual unprotected sexual intercourse. When adults make choices that do not harm others, we really should learn to keep our opinion to ourselves unless asked.

Many who condemn women who use lightening creams have little or no regard for the women’s health; they are just interested in forcing their unsolicited and unprofessional opinion down the throat of others.  They are more concerned about expressing their half baked, psychoanalysis of the reasons they think the stranger they do not know is using skin lightening creams or wearing weaves.

There are cases where black men use skin lightening creams and those men do not have it easier. Recently, a colleague mentioned how he threatened to throw out a male friend who suddenly started lightening his skin. He speculated that the friend must have started using lightening cream because he was new in UK, had a white male lover whose family was not accepting of him and therefore must have felt he needed to lighten his skin so he can be accepted by his white lover’s family. I wondered if he actually asked the friend why he chose to use lightening skin before coming to his personal conclusions. Even if the friend made his choice to lighten his skin for whatever reason(s), why threaten to throw him out for a choice he made? As a fellow lgbt rights advocate, I had to remind him about the right to choose, tolerance and acceptance. Imposing your views on another especially when their choice does not harm anyone is indeed another form of oppression.  It is sad that people who know what it is like to be oppressed do not check their own privilege meter when they oppress others.

Who is a Real African?

This obsession with who is a real African woman seems to know no bounds.  Where exactly do we draw the line? Who defines who is a real African? At what point do we draw the boundary? When do we admit that adult human beings have a choice to do whatever they like with their body whether or not we agree with their choice?

African men who claim African women should not wear weaves-on should ask themselves why they wear three piece suits and don ties in tropical weathers especially in hot climes like Nigeria. You sweat like a Christmas goat under your suits, yet you had the audacity to say an African woman who wears weaves or lightens her skin suffers from colonial induced inferiority complex.  When next you want to condemn a woman for wearing weaves or lightening her skin, think of how you smoke your cigarettes nonstop even though you’ve been shown the damage smoking does to your lung. Ask yourself how you would feel if someone accused you of smoking because you have inferiority complex and only wants to be like the Europeans who brought cigarettes to your colonized land. Does smoking cigarettes mean you suffer from inferiority complex?  Does it mean you are not a real African man? After all, your forefathers didn’t smoke cigarettes; they snuffed ‘tabba’, why not go back to snuffing ‘tabba’, just to show you are a real African man.

You drink beer and boast about your champagne collections, but you steer clear of your forefathers palm wine and ‘burukutu’ yet you stand there with your glass of foreign wine in hand, accusing women who wear weaves or lighten their skin, of wanting to be like Europeans. Is your beer, wine and champagne an African thing? You should know that your alcohol is not just only dangerous to your health but also likely to harm others when you are in an alcohol induced state, this is far worse than any harm weaves or skin lightening could cause. Whatever makes you think you can stand in judgment of the non harmful choice of others? 
You worship foreign Gods and have pictures of a blue eyed, blonde white man hanging on your wall, neck while you firmly clutch the image of a pale ‘Holy Mary’ as if your very life depends on it, yet you accuse black women who wear weaves and use lightening creams of not behaving like real Africans and of wanting to be like Europeans. Why don't you first remove the log in your eyes before you attempt to remove the speck in the eyes of another? 

There are white women who wear their hairs in braids and cornrows; do they also suffer from low self-esteem and inferiority complex? Many  women regardless of skin colour,  wear hair attachments. Even to make the many African braids styles, you need hair attachments. Some African women also wear very short weaves, it is not about wanting long flowing Brazilian or Chinese hair. It is about convenience and what suits one at a particular time or for all time.

My hair is not your political statement  

I once dated a much older gentleman who was an ardent pan-Africanist, he wanted me to change my hairstyle to ‘Shuku’, a popular hairstyle amongst Nigerian women and Yoruba goddesses. I made it clear that unless I was contesting for Miss Osun state or the ‘Arogba’ of Osun river (which wouldn’t happen even if there was a hell that could freeze over), I wouldn’t plait my hair in shuku! Looking at his pleading eyes, I realized it was his way of projecting his sexual fantasy on me. He was just another male who wanted to use a woman to fulfill his sexual fantasy. As a pan Africanist, his sexual fantasy most probably does not evolve around Barbie dolls but around a curvy, African woman who looks and dresses like an African female deity!

But the thing is, it does not matter whether the man or woman directly or indirectly coercing me to conform to their peculiar sexual fantasy is African, European, or Asian, coercion is coercion, regardless of the gender or colour of the perpetrator. Nobody should be made to live as an object to fulfill the sexual desires or sense of righteousness of others.

Black woman hair is unfortunately seen most often as a political statement. Anyone, be it black or white, can make a statement with their hair. Some lgbt advocates dye their hair the rainbow colour to make a political statement, “we are lgbt and proud”. But sometimes, it is just about having fun. I used to think dreadlocks was about making a political statement, a symbol against oppression because I was influenced by great stars who had luscious dreadlocks like the legendary Bob Marley and super talented, beautiful musician,  Tracy Chapman. When I started braiding my hair in dreadlocks style, I’d say every strand of my hair stands for struggle against oppression. But then, I broadened my horizon, and met people with dreadlocks that never cared for political ideology.  Dreadlocks to them, was not a political thing but something they were born with or just the latest craze in town. Not every hairstyle of a black person is a political statement. We have the right to have fun with our hair without any political or spiritual undertone!

Do not berate other women for their lifestyle choice. We should learn to respect the right of adults to make decisions about their own bodies. Before you make that snide remark about a black woman’s hair or skin, check your bigotry, ignorance and definitely check your privilege.

Always remember: My Body, My Choice, My Right.  

Order your sizzling copy of 'Freedom To Love For ALL: Homosexuality is Not Un-African! on Amazon. Thanks!

 About the book

 Sexuality rights remain a controversial issue in many parts of Africa; it is not just a controversial issue but also a taboo subject. 

Many countries in Africa still criminalize homosexuality. Sodomy laws remain part of the criminal laws thereby making it legally possible to persecute sexual minorities. For example Zimbabwe, Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Tanzania and Ghana all have laws under which homosexuality can be prosecuted. In South Africa, where the constitution recognizes same-sex relationships, gays and lesbians are often attacked, molested and persecuted for their sexual orientation.

Many African societies do not provide enabling environments to discuss sexual orientation issues. Homosexuality has been condemned by many African leaders as Immoral, Un-African and a 'White man's disease'.

In Nigeria, lawmakers are resurrecting a version of a widely condemned anti-homosexuality bill. Nigerian Lawmakers in a bid to rally popular support needed a scapegoat and the LGBT community provides an easy target. 

Poverty, corruption, unemployment, lack of security and the growing menace of Boko Haram are some of the many problems bedeviling Nigeria as a nation. Rather than focus on these urgent problems, Nigerian lawmakers decided once again to come in a 'straight' mass orgy of corruption to bully the gay minority; a cause always guaranteed to provide the otherwise unpopular lawmakers with cheap, majority support. When will they stop discussing who is sleeping with whom and start making laws to move this underdeveloped, oil rich nation forward?

In the book FREEDOM TO LOVE FOR ALL: Homosexuality is not Un-African, Yemisi Ilesanmi takes a critical look at Nigeria's 'Jail the Gays' bill. In this interesting collection of her articles on Nigeria's Same Sex Marriage Prohibition bill, she makes a brilliant case for LGBT Rights as Human Rights and effectively debunks the myths surrounding homosexuality in Africa.

Yemisi Ilesanmi also raises concern on what she termed 'The deafening silence of Nigerian Human rights activists on the homophobic bill'. She sheds light on homophobia in Nigeria and the forces driving the 'Jail the Gays' bill in Africa.

She wrote: "I wonder why it is not considered politically incorrect to ask if Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals or Transsexuals have equal rights as heterosexuals. If we are agreed that no one should be discriminated against, why are we still debating if Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transsexuals are entitled to Human Rights? Last time I checked LGBTs are people too! Well, debate is good because in some countries like Nigeria, many are yet to be convinced that Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transsexuals are actually human beings."

About the author:

Yemisi Ilesanmi is an experienced advocate, trade unionist, human rights activist and a passionate poet. She holds a Masters of Law degree in Gender, Sexuality and Human Rights.

Yemisi Ilesanmi writes and speaks on a range of issues including workers rights, gender and sexuality issues. She is a passionate campaigner for equal rights, social justice and poverty alleviation.

The promo video gives a glimpse into the sizzling contents of the book 'Freedom To Love For ALL: Homosexuality is Not Un-African'. You can order the Paperback or Kindle version on any of the Amazon links below. Your copy of the book is only a click away! Thanks.
www.amazon.com/dp/1481864815
www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1481864815
www.amazon.de/dp/1481864815
www.amazon.es/dp/1481864815
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www.createspace.com/4086028

Sex workers need Rights not Rescue!

Dec 17th is International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers. From a feminist and also a trade unionist perspective, I know supporting Sex Workers Rights is the logical thing to do.

Not all Sex Workers hate their jobs, not all Sex Workers are forced to be Sex Workers, Sex workers want RIGHTS not RESCUE. People should stop acting like knights in shining armor rushing to save ‘scarlet’ queens!

EVERY WORKER, whether a banker, micro biologist, intern, salesperson, street hawker, housewife, surrogate or sex worker should be protected from FORCED LABOUR. Yes, everyone’s body is being purchased for labour and sometimes for marriage too. I just wish people would know the difference between forced labour and one made out of choice. And the fact is that not many workers are 100% happy with their jobs and if they had a choice, many would gladly change jobs. I then wonder at those who scream that Sex workers do not like their job. I mean, can you truly say you love your job and wouldn't give it up even if you won a jackpot lottery?

It is not just people in low paying jobs that are not happy with their present jobs, this also include people in high, medium and low paying jobs i.e. bankers, doctors, lawyers, receptionists, nurses, soldiers etc. I just get pissed when the whole attention of "BUT THEY HATE THEIR JOB" is directed at sex workers.

There are many people especially immigrants with Masters Degrees and PhDs who now work in supermarket chain stores like Walmart, Sainsbury or Tesco as security men and cashiers. No they aren’t happy they went through the rigours and expenses of graduate school to end up with certificates that don’t pay their bills, they are therefore FORCED by economic, political and social situations to settle for jobs that would at least pay their bills and some settle for MARRIAGE to keep a roof over their heads, while some settle for commercial sex work.

Many people are choosing to be Interns and Volunteers because it fills the void before they finally find employment. Gone are the days when people do volunteer and internship work just to help out, now it is because they can't get a job and it also looks good on the CV, it is basically like doing good to earn ‘Paradise’ points on your card so you can make it to Heaven and live happily ever after with Sky daddy!

If some people decided that they'd rather jerk off in front of a webcam and be paid for it rather than take up a job as a Walmart assistant, or volunteer for a job they really should be paid for doing,  RESPECT THEIR CHOICE. For all you know, some could still win the lottery and decide they’d still rather be sex workers.

It is really none of our business what consenting adults do with their bodies, I still fail to see how my being a feminist means i have to hate sex work or try to save sex workers. I think it is about choice, respect and rights. And just like I’d say with my sexuality, your approval is not needed, and I think that is what sex workers are saying, they do not need feminists approval, what they want is RIGHTS like every other worker.

ORGANISING SEX WORKERS WITHIN MAINSTREAM LABOUR MOVEMENT

The controversy of whether “sex work” can be defined and treated as real work or not is one that evokes a lot of emotion and sentiments. This is not surprising because the answer to this will determine whether this area of “Work” deserves to be acknowledged and given as much legal and social protection and recognition as any other type of work recognized under the auspice of labour laws. It cannot be denied that “sex workers”, like them or hate them, provide a service. Since prostitution is commonly referred to as the oldest profession, sex work is a service as old as humankind.

 

 

With the advent of globalization, internet dating, chat rooms, cyber-sex etc, the world’s touted oldest profession has not been left behind in modernizing its trade and services to keep up with the ever changing technology; dynamism is indeed the name of the game. In today’s world, a sex worker is no longer just the woman in skimpy red dress and high heels, lurking at the corner of the street in the middle of the night looking for a customer. A sex worker now include prostitutes, pornography actors and actresses, chat room /telephone sex providers, escorts, gigolos etc.  

However, like all work, especially in this era of neo–globalization and privatisation of anything that generate profits, prostitutes in many cases do not own their bodies anymore, many are not really in a position to negotiate the prices for their services. The big lords, hotel owners, club owners, chat room owners, internet warlords are now the real employer of sex workers' labour. The money bags have the money to run the business, employ women and in a growing number of cases men too, to render sexual services, they act as the sub contractors, in fact, it is just an advanced stage of pimping.

‘IF YOU HAVE A BOSS, YOU NEED A UNION” is a popular slogan in Labor movement. It is increasingly obvious that sex workers are in most cases employed by other big time business operators, who like many employers, are basically concerned about profit and not necessarily the welfare of their employees. Even in cases where sex workers are their own bosses, instances of police brutality and harassment abound. Policemen have been known to extort sex workers, demand for cuts from their earnings, deny them protection, rape and torture them; in fact, sex workers are subjected to all sorts of indignities and degrading treatment when arrested.

In Nigeria, it is a common occurrence for policemen to raid a brothel, clubs or local joints to arrest young women, especially female students on the suspicion of prostitution. To the policemen, the  evidence  of the prostitution charge lies in the  way the women are dressed, their physical appearance, if they were smoking, drinking alcohol, the company they keep, or just the mere fact that they were in that environment at an 'ungodly' hour serves as evidence of prostitution.

Many women arrested in such circumstances are often tortured, extorted, blackmailed, raped and assaulted. In an effort to protect their identity and secure their freedom, these young women would do anything to please their torturers. Sometimes they are forced to confess to crimes they never committed and in many cases, are forced to perform sexual favours to gain their freedom. Of course, this action of the police is sexist, a violation of so many fundamental human rights and a restriction on the right of women to move freely in the country.

It is however interesting to note that the over-zealousness of the police is never extended to elitist clubs. Sex workers, who work for and provide services to the elites, enjoy a sort of coded protection. However the protection is only valid for as long as the boss is pleased, any disagreement or rancor could lead to withdrawal of that protection. Therefore the power to negotiate the terms and conditions of service is tacitly taken away from the vulnerable sex workers.

Also, sex workers are often looked at as disease carriers, a mobile carrier of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. While there is no gainsaying that exposure to many sexual partners without protection increases the risk of contacting a sexually transmitted disease, it is also important to note that the client could be as guilty if not more guilty than the service provider therefore it is important to involve and educate the clients too on the need to practice safer sex. It is important to have a holistic approach to this subject in order to curb sexually transmitted diseases. 

Sex workers must be accorded the respect they deserve and seen as stakeholders who can contribute meaningfully to creating awareness about HIV/AIDS and help curb its spread. We must also recognize that sexual health and well being of sex workers is also important.

The stigmatization and consequent exploitation of sex workers would be minimized if sex work is accorded its recognition as a bonafide job, a real job which has its challenges like every other job but which also has its rights and protections under the law.

Criminalization of sex-work in many countries and jurisdictions makes it difficult to create a safe, enabling environment and workplace for sex workers. The continued criminalization of sex-work, rather than serves as a deterrent has only succeeded in exposing sex workers to violence, intimidation, harassment, exploitation etc.

As was said in the Wolfenden Committee report of 1957, what two adults do in the privacy of their rooms is no business of the law. Decriminalization of sex work would make it easier to organize sex workers, improve their working conditions, curb exploitation and protect their rights and accord them the dignity in labour every worker deserves.

Recognizing sex work and organising sex workers within mainstream labour movement is a task not just for the unions but one that must jointly be carried out by both the trade unions and sex workers.  Sex workers must be ready to organise themselves from within, they must be prepared to approach unions that are capable of meeting their needs and willing to accept them as full members with all the rights accorded members.

Trade unions on their part must be ready to live up to its primary duties, which is organising workers and protecting their rights. In this time when the labour movement is concerned about dwindling membership mainly due to global economy down turn, trade unions should look towards organising this untapped membership.

Sex workers have bosses in many cases, they work under hazardous conditions, and sometimes under very demeaning circumstances, they need protection from dangerous clients, overzealous policemen, and even the larger society.

Organising sex workers would also give them the opportunity to build their capacity to negotiate their own services and contracts, educate and empower them enough for them to make a true choice or at least give them a chance to really have a choice. 

No one should be forced to be a sex worker; it should be voluntarily chosen. Unfortunately, our economy reality has restricted the power to freely choose our profession, however it is still imperative that conditions of work in this profession is subjected to international labour standards. Sex workers should not be abandoned to their fate just because they happened to be on the wrong side of a questionable law.

The key word is CHOICE and an ENABLING/EMPOWERING environment to make a CHOICE. Many choose 'prostitution' or what I'd rather refer to as 'Commercial Sex Work' to survive the brutal economy. Just the same way many women and men choose to enter into Marriage unions or relationships for economy reasons and same way many migrants are forced to marry or enter into contractual sexual relationships for a green card or entry visa. Mutual Adult choices that harm no one should be respected. 

We should all stand up against FORCED commercial sex work, FORCED LABOUR anywhere, anyhow should be condemned. Persons that have chosen sex work whether out of economic circumstances or just because they love it, should be accorded all respect and protection, not pity.

Commercial sex workers should not be denied workers’ rights because of societal stigmatization and moral judgments. They are adults, have made their choices and need not explain to a third party why they made their choice. Decriminalization can help minimize violence, sex trafficking and exploitation of sex workers and a UNION would give them the representation many other workers enjoy. 

Employment CHOICES, whether made out of economic frustration, lack of choice or real passion for the profession MUST BE RESPECTED.

Sex workers do not have to be viewed as people who need help, especially when they are in the profession voluntarily. Not everyone loves their jobs, including commercial sex workers. In almost all profession, you will find people who truly loathe their jobs but are constraint to stay in the jobs because it pays the bills. So next time someone says "but prostitutes don't love their jobs", well ask the person if they truly love their jobs? Also, not loving your job is not a reason for the society to criminalize  or stigmatize your chosen profession. 

Some sex workers are in the profession because, believe it or not, they have a passion for it, many are there because of limited choice but for whatever reasons they are in the profession, RESPECT is the key word, not PITY and certainly not moral judgment.

Sex workers while building their alliances with labour movements, must also build links with social movements that will protect their rights and interests. They should build alliances with  liberal women organisations, human rights organisations which in some cases also help to provide legal services to allies and of course the World Social Forum.

Social movements on their part must continue to demand for a better world, where the oppressed in the society can rise above their oppression, where poverty will not be the motivating factor behind sex work, where people can truly decide what type of work they want to do, be it providing medical service or providing sex service and have their choice equally respected.

It is indeed interesting that some unions have already started organising sex workers and admitting them into their unions while some sex workers have also started organising themselves. In Europe, America, Asia , tentative steps have been taken by unions like the Karnataka Sex workers union Bangalore, International union of sex workers, London, AMMAR, an organisation of sex workers in Argentina, CTA, an Argentine trade union, FNV union confederation in Netherlands UNITE, New Zealand, etc. It is important to build on these developments in order to reach out to many vulnerable and oppressed people in this work who otherwise would not have any valid spokesperson or means of channeling their grievances or opportunity of having their voices heard in the society.

Trade unions in Africa should also try to represent this group of workers, who most often, work in the most demeaning conditions.  Discrimination has no place in trade unionism, the interests of the sex workers must be protected, their voices must be heard and their concerns taken on board. Unions should not just be speaking for sex workers but must also let sex workers speak for themselves from within the unions.

In conclusion, we must bear in mind that organising sex workers itself is not about promoting the sex trade or sex services, it is about PROTECTING the rights of those who either out of choice or no choice find themselves working as sex workers. 

Trade unions cannot and should not discriminate on which category of workers they offer their services to. Workers of the world have always tried to unite against any form of slavery, freely chosen sex work is not slavery and where stifling environment encourages exploitation of this vulnerable group, union machinery should start working to defend the rights of these workers irrespective of status, class, color or gender.