1. Lobbying: The art of the possible?
Oxfam ‘Voices’ Learning Event
Ballito, KZN
15 November 2012

2. Who we are…
• SWEAT- Sex Workers’ Education and Advocacy Taskforce is
an NGO whose main job is to promote sex worker human
rights and advocate for their health, and achieve
decriminalisation of sex work.
• Made up of sex workers and sex worker activists
• Operating for the last 17 years, now with a presence in
seven out of nine provinces, headquartered in Cape Town.
• In 2003 SWEAT gave birth to Sisonke- the only national sex
worker movement in South Africa.
• Sisonke is for sex workers, and by sex workers.

3. Nothing about us, without us!
• In September 2011 SWEAT and Sisonke embarked on an
awareness programme among sex workers.
• The aim of the programme is to empower sex workers to
be able to lobby and advocate for their rights.
• The programme was put together by Tim Barnett, a former
New Zealand Minister of Parliament, who was
instrumental in getting sex work decriminalised in his
country in 2003.

4. Lobbying Parliamentarians
• The training programme explained power distribution amongst
governmental structures, the processes of getting Bills passed,
how new laws are made/changed, and how to lobby
Parliamentarians.
• Since their initial training by Barnett in 2011 the sex worker
lobbyists have embarked on an intensive and widespread
Parliamentary lobbying process, essentially attempting to
address as many Members of Parliament (MPs) as possible,
face to face, with the key messages on sex work
decriminalisation.

5. Lobbying extended
• Each lobbying team has 4 members, and are accompanied
by at least 1 SWEAT staff member to meetings.
• We currently have 16 active sex worker lobbyists based in
Cape Town.
• To date 18 MPs have been lobbied on a one-one basis, with
the key messages on sex work decriminalisation. .
• We have recently started lobbying local community leaders
(ie. ward councillors), religious leaders, and international
human rights’ bodies (ie. UNAIDS).

6. Deputy Minister of Police Maggie
Makhotso Sotyu visits SWEAT
• As the direct result of meeting with
one of the lobbying teams SWEAT was
visited by Deputy Minister of Police
Maggie Makhotso Sotyu on the 13th of
August 2012.
• Speaking to Sisonke members Sotyu
heard first-hand from sex workers
themselves of the atrocious human
right violations they experienced at
the hands of police.
• Sotyu pledged to bring an end to
these violations, and hold those police
officers that abused their power over
sex workers to book.

7. Submission towards the Prevention of
Torture Bill
• We also made a joint submission with the Women’s Legal Centre and Sisonke
towards the Prevention And Combating of Torture of Persons Bill, and
presented our comments to the Bill at a public hearing on the 14th of August.
Our presentation was covered by Eyewitness News: Torture Bill should protect
sex workers.
• An extract from the article reads:
“The [Women’s Legal ] centre's Stacey-Leigh Manoek said current laws
do not adequately protect sex workers.
“They experience these kinds of abuses because of the nature of
their work. It’s hard to enforce the Sexual Offences Act as it stands, so
police resort to illegal policing practices.”
• WLC recently published a report titled: “Stop Harassing Us! Tackle Real Crime:
A report on Human Rights Violations By Police Against Sex Workers In South
Africa”.
• Of the 308 sex workers interviewed for this study, 70 % had experienced some
form of abuse at the hands of police.
• The abuse ranged from harassment, assault, being pepper sprayed (at times on
genitals), and rape.

8. Addressing the Multi-Party Women’s
Caucus
• The lobbyists also presented in front of the Multi-Party
Women’s Caucus in parliament on the 19th of September
2012.
• This presentation was also covered by the media- this time
by the Cape Times: Eyes opened to rights in sex trade.

9. • Part of the article reads:
…continued
“ANC MP Pam Tshwete said: “As lawmakers, we need to know about
your concerns and monitor them. It is clear police, society and
health-care professionals must be trained to deal with sex workers ”.
• Other MPs agreed, saying it was important that sex workers’ rights
were protected from any abuse.
• Women’s Caucus chairwoman Beauty Dlulane said the presentation
by Sweat was an “eye-opener”:
“The constitution ensures human rights for all. We now know what
issues they face, because we did not want to critisise them without
hearing from them,” Dlulane said.
• Dlulane closed the meeting by asking all present MPs to discuss sex
workers’ issues with their party caucuses and have further
discussions with SWEAT.
• For a transcript and audio recording of this meeting please visit the
following link on the Parliamentary Monitoring Group website:
http://www.pmg.org.za/report/20120919-sweat-sexworkers-
discussions-and-way-forward.

10. COSATU passes a resolution in
support of decriminalisation of sex
work
• At the Congress Of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) 11th National
Congress in September this year a resolution was passed in support of
decriminalisation:
“… 18. The continued criminalization of sex work has a discriminatory
element as only women are charged and not their clients who solicit their
services.
… 25. To campaign for the decriminalisation of sex work through the
repealing of the Sexual Offences Act, as part of a broader campaign of
ensuring their enjoyment of labour, human, health [and] safety and socio
economic rights. As well as to support organisations like Sex Workers
Education and Advocacy Taskforce (SWEAT) and SISONKE (organisation for
sex workers) in their efforts to educate and organise sex workers”.

11. …continued
• We have since extended our lobbying campaign to other
union affiliates of COSATU, such as the South African
Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU), and National
Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (NEHAWU)
who are now open to discussions with us over
decriminalisation of sex work, following COSATU’s
resolution.

12. Tips and lessons learned
• The success of this decriminalisation lobbying campaign has been the
direct involvement of sex workers themselves. It is important for MPs
to hear from sex workers about the challenges they face under
criminalisation, and why Sisonke is calling for the decriminalisation of
sex work. The lobbying is therefore more authentic and has a greater
impact on the MPs.
• The use of true/real-life storytelling has been a powerful tool in our
lobbying. By weaving a real-life story to support your arguments when
lobbying can leave a strong impression, which would hopefully inspire
them to take action on the matter raised. If you want people to take
action you need to speak to their emotions.
• It is important to find research to support your arguments. When
lobbying you need to know your facts, and be able to speak to
evidence.
• For the sex worker activists this has been an empowering programme,
because it allows them to speak for themselves. Meeting with MPs has
improved their knowledge of government processes, debate and
presentation skills, and boosted their public speaking confidence.

13. Thank you
• Presentation by
- Kholi Buthelezi, Sisonke National Coordinator
- Ntokozo Yingwana, SWEAT Advocacy Officer
Address: 19 Anson Street, Observatory, Cape Town
Tel: (021) 448 78 75
Fax: (021) 448 78 57
Toll-free Helpline: 0800 60 60 60
Email: info@sweat.org.za
Website: www.sweat.org.za
Let us carry on the chance of today, by implementing for
tomorrow.