Yingwana, N. (2025). Sex Work in Africa. In: The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Sexuality Education. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-95352-2_83-2.
Abstract:
Sex work in Africa is shaped by complex intersections of gender, sexuality, labour, migration, colonialism, law, health, and social inequality. This entry provides an overview of the historical and contemporary dimensions of sex work across the African continent, challenging representations of sex work as a uniform or exclusively contemporary phenomenon. It traces continuities between precolonial forms of sexual-economic exchange, colonial regulation and racialised constructions of sexuality, and contemporary legal and policy regimes governing the sale of sex. Particular attention is given to the diversity of people engaged in sex work, including women, men, transgender and gender-diverse people, as well as migrant and mobile sex workers. The entry examines how criminalisation, partial criminalisation, legalisation and decriminalisation shape sex workers’ working conditions, access to healthcare and social protection, exposure to violence, and ability to claim rights. It also considers debates surrounding sex work, sexual exploitation and human trafficking, highlighting the importance of distinguishing consensual adult sex work from trafficking and coercion. Finally, the entry foregrounds sex-worker organising and rights-based approaches, emphasising sex workers’ agency, knowledge and collective action in challenging stigma and advocating for social, economic and sexual rights across Africa.
