Yankho Mkwapatira & Liwonde Female Sex Workers Alliance (LIFESA)

In Machinga, Malawi, Yankho Mkwapatira, a sex worker and founder of the Liwonde Female Sex Workers Alliance (LIFESA) , is leading a powerful movement to protect and empower women in sex work. With support from our Giving Joy grant, Yankho and her team of 35 are tackling stigma, abuse, and unlawful arrests head-on.

LIFESA used the grant to organize a Solidarity Walk and Parade with civil society partners, publicly demanding an end to police harassment of female sex workers, especially under outdated and unconstitutional laws. They also established a 20-member Taskforce Committee of trained sex workers who now monitor, report, and respond to human rights violations in their communities.

The impact has been significant: over 150 sex workers have received critical legal information, and since the grant began, no new cases of police abuse or physical violence have been reported in the area. A five-day workshop with 40 stakeholders opened dialogue and paved the way for more inclusive protections under the law. Together, LIFESA and its partners are reshaping public attitudes and advancing social justice in Liwonde and beyond.

Looking ahead, LIFESA will continue hosting stakeholder roundtables and expanding human rights awareness, with dreams of opening a One-Stop Support Center for survivors of abuse. With continued support, they hope to reach even more women and push for long-term, systemic change.

"We believe sex workers’ rights are women’s rights—and they must be respected and protected at all costs." – Yankho Mkwapatira