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Woman from Uganda served by IPPF

Resource

Sex workers in Uganda: fighting violence and inequality

IPPF hosts the Safe Abortion Action Fund (SAAF), and the Lady Mermaid Bureau - a local grassroots project - is funded by SAAF to empower sex workers with the legal support and reproductive health serv...

In Uganda, 42% of all pregnancies each year are unintended. The country's weak economy is exacerbated by high levels of gender inequality and poor access to jobs for women. Many women who turn to sex work are at risk of abuse and often rape. Abortion is heavily restricted in Uganda and clandestine safe services are very costly. This results in further poverty for many sex workers and sometimes unplanned pregnancies or even death from unsafe abortion.