“You Touch One, You Touch All”: Sex Workers Demand Dignity and Justice in Kenema

ADVOCAID on Friday, October 24, 2025, convened an emotional dialogue session in Kenema, bringing together Commercial Sex Workers (CSWs) and members of the “Go Before Women” federation to share their struggles, resilience, and rights with key stakeholders and service providers.

The event, hosted at the Opportunity Training Centre (OTC), provided a platform for participants to openly share their experiences. One sex worker, whose name was withheld, recounted how the death of her father pushed her into the streets for survival. She expressed gratitude to ADVOCAID for helping her rebuild her life and care for her children, urging others to reconsider the dangers of sex work.

Other participants highlighted the deep discrimination they face, both within their families and from society. “We are not rally girls we are hustlers trying to survive,” one woman clarified, while others called for the decriminalization of minor offenses and the creation of empowerment centers for sex workers.

Speaking after the session, Fatmata Jalloh, South-East Programme Officer of ADVOCAID, said the dialogue was meant to give marginalized women a voice. “Women in Africa are vulnerable, but those without education or income are doubly so,” she noted, stressing that ADVOCAID’s mission is to support women in conflict with the law.

She acknowledged the roles played by legal luminary Joseph Bandabla Dauda (JBD Esq.) and court monitor Katumu Kamara in supporting the initiative. “Women in Africa are vulnerable, and a woman becomes even more vulnerable when she is uneducated and has no source of income,” she noted.

Madam Jalloh warned participants to be cautious in their dealings, adding that “men who pay large amounts to CSWs are often those infected with sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and many do not use condoms.”

She concluded by explaining that “Go Before Women” functions as a federation while Commercial Sex Workers operate as a coalition under ADVOCAID’s broader women’s empowerment framework.

The meeting ended with the slogan: “You touch one, you touch all.”