THE recent acts of violence and sexual harassment meted out to sex workers in Guyana have heightened the call for the relevant authorities and lawmakers to revisit legislation regarding sex work and prostitution.

Issuing this call was Miriam Edwards, the Executive Director of the Guyana Sex Work Coalition (GSWC), who, during an exclusive interview with this publication last week stated that, while sex work in Guyana is widespread and nothing new to society, it is still illegal.

Edwards, further stated that it is the law which still criminalises this occupation that is enabling acts of violence.
“There is still a high level of stigma meted out to these women who ply their trade at night and people need to understand that they need to treat them as human beings because these persons are mothers, they’re aunts, they’re sisters, and they have responsibilities to take care of. They have their families,” Edwards said.

She added: “We are crying out for better to be done in terms of these women accessing services, whether it’s healthcare, whether it’s police, whether it’s anybody in society to treat these women better.”
Edwards suggested that Guyana, like several other countries should develop red light districts to provide safe spaces for sex workers.

“We are calling out for the decriminalisation of sex work. If they want to do like Europe or England where they have these red light districts they can do that. Sex workers are willing to pay their taxes.”

She added that sex work is known as one of the oldest occupations in the world and society sooner rather than later, should consider it to be like any other job.
“It’s the oldest profession. I born and met sex work. My mother who is 75 years old born and met sex work, so it is not now people create sex work. But in Guyana, because of the laws surrounding sex work, the laws that are surrounding prostitution are what is causing this high level of stigma against these women.

Edwards said that there are many sex workers who have lodged complaints of assault through the coalition. However, it is never taken seriously unless much noise is made or they are often given a “run around” before justice is served or a perpetrator is arrested.

She noted that the most hurtful part of it all is that, often times, it is other women and female police officers who tend to degrade and discriminate against these workers who were assaulted, saying things like “you should look for other work” and “it good for you, that’s your job.”