Ms. Grace Kamau holds a Bachelor Degree in Sociology and Political science from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa. She identifies as a female sex worker and has worked in the HIV field in relation to key populations for 8 years. She has previously worked at Bar Hostess Empowerment Programme (BHESP) as Program Officer and worked as a consultant with the Global Network of Sex Work Projects. Her passion has been working with sex workers on issues of HIV prevention, human rights and movement building. She has also worked as the National coordinator of the Kenya Key Population Consortium, and she currently works as the African Sex Workers Alliance Regional Coordinator in Nairobi. She was recently appointed as a member of Feminist Opportunity Now (FON) Africa Regional Coordination Committee (RCAC). Recently appointed as Mama Cash Supervisor Board member.
Articles by Grace Kamau
Amidst Shadows: A Call for Justice for Sex Workers
Inhuman, barbaric, and brutal are the words that can be used to explain the recent findings of the Aidsfonds international report documenting a staggering 2,466 human rights abuses against sex workers in Southern Africa between December 2022 and November 2023. These numbers are not just mere statistics but a revelation of the grim reality of the harrowing stories of fundamental human rights abuses that sex workers endure on a daily basis across Africa. We stand at a crucial juncture as the report not only exposes the magnitude, but also underscores the urgent need for change to protect African sex workers and their human rights. Each of the 2,466 human rights abuses documented represents a human being demanding for their rights and sadly narrates a tale of resilience in the face of adversity and a call for recognition and justice. We must collectively demand accountability, challenge stereotypes, and work towards dismantling the barriers that propagate violence against sex workers in Africa, and all over the world. Understanding the degree of these violations is a critical step toward informed advocacy and targeted structural interventions towards addressing and eliminating cases of violence meted on sex workers.