Sex Work and Human Rights

The South African Constitution and international agreements such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) recognise universal human rights for every human being protected by law.

In many countries around the world, including South Africa, sex workers currently suffer major human rights abuses. This is why the decriminalisation of sex work is backed by major human rights organisations including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and the South African Commission for Gender Equality. This fact sheet explains why the decriminalisation of sex work is the best way to protect the human rights of sex workers.