DSW Travels To Nairobi to Meet With the African Sex Workers Alliance

DSW’s Kaytlin Bailey sat down with the African Sex Workers Alliance (ASWA) at its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. ASWA is a Pan-African alliance of sex worker-led organizations. The group was formed in 2009 and has grown to include members from 33 countries. Bailey and ASWA discussed the overlap between what sex workers around the world are seeking in their collective fight for recognition and safety.

The discussion with ASWA centered around the power of personal storytelling within the sex worker rights movement and beyond. The conversation also explored how various legal models in different African countries impact sex workers and the LGBTQ communities there.

Later that evening, Kaytlin Bailey performed her new one-woman show, “Whore’s Eye View,” to a sold-out audience at the BaoBox in Nairobi. After the show, Rose Wanjiku told the audience about ASWA’s work, handed out literature, and educated people about efforts to decriminalize sex work in Kenya.

Decriminalization campaigns are gaining momentum across the continent, bolstered by ASWA’s support and international collaborations. Proceeds from the performance benefited the organization. To learn more about the work of ASWA, particularly the Sex Worker Academy Africa, their groundbreaking community empowerment program, visit their website here.