South Africa wants to decriminalize prostitution to reduce violence

A sex worker near a demonstration for the decriminalization of prostitution, on May 27, 2021, in Johannesburg.

© Guillem Sartorio / AFP

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

The South African government presented this Friday, December 9 a bill to decriminalize prostitution, and thus reduce violence against women which continues to increase throughout the country.

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Justice Minister Ronald Lamola introduced the bill, with the aim that the offering and use of sexual services would no longer be criminalized.

The government thus hopes to reduce the violence suffered by prostitutes.

" 

This will allow better access to care, less discrimination and stigma

 ," explained Ronald Lamola during a press briefing.

This

bill has been welcomed by

feminist associations.

The prostitutes' rights group Sweat hopes that decriminalization will allow " 

a better exchange

 " between prostitutes and the police.

According to associations, 150,000 women in South Africa are sex workers.

This proposal comes

against a backdrop of increased violence against women

across the country: according to police, violence has increased by 13% between 2017 and 2022. In South Africa, a rape is reported every 12 minutes and women feminicides doubled in the first quarter of the year, compared to the previous year.

In 2021,

the rate of femicides in the country was already five times higher than the global average

.

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To read also: 

In 2021, more than 17,000 women were killed by members of their entourage in Africa

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  • South Africa

  • Womens rights

  • Sexuality

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  • Women