ENI – The Malawi Council of Churches and a multi-faith grouping, the Public Affairs Committee, are urging the government to introduce a law barring prostitution, which they say is fuelling the spread of HIV/AIDS.
“If we are to succeed in the fight against HIV/AIDS then the government needs to enforce a law to prohibit prostitution because it's one of the major ways through which the pandemic is spreading fast,” said church council chairperson Rev. Howard Matiya Nkhoma, a Presbyterian minister. He lamented, “Some people venture into prostitution to earn a living while others do it for pleasure. The problem in both cases is that it's the innocent who are affected.”
Two years ago the government angered civil society organizations when it announced it would arrest all prostitutes roaming the streets at night. Hundreds of young women found on the streets and those staying at inns were arrested. Rights activists said arrests were often made for no apparent reason and argued there was no law barring prostitution.
None of the women arrested were charged with prostitution, but rather with vagrancy. Many were represented by lawyers paid for by civil society organizations. With those found guilty receiving minimum fines, the government suspended its action, saying it was futile.
