No More Hiding: Sex Workers in Malawi Claim Their Rights

What happens when women who are ignored, criminalized, and silenced decide to stand up for their dignity? In the town of Liwonde, Malawi, they start a movement.

Yankho Mkwapatira, a sex worker and founder of the Liwonde Female Sex Workers Alliance (LIFESA), is fighting for the rights, safety, and humanity of female sex workers, one bold step at a time. With our Giving Joy $500 micro- grant, Yankho and her team of 35 women are addressing the rampant abuse, unlawful arrests, and public stigma faced by sex workers in Malawi, particularly under the discriminatory “Rogue and Vagabond” law.

Their work began with a powerful Solidarity Walk and Parade (see photo above), uniting civil society groups and demanding change from local police. But the impact didn’t stop there. With part of the grant, LIFESA and 20 female sex workers formed a Taskforce Committee dedicated to monitoring and documenting abuse in their communities. Thanks to their efforts, more than 150 women have been reached with legal rights training, and, most powerfully, no new cases of police abuse have been reported since the program began.

A five-day workshop with 40 local stakeholders helped break down taboos, generate solutions, and amplify the voices of sex workers as equal citizens deserving of respect and protection. The result, growing awareness, reduced stigma, and the first steps toward true safety and justice.

LIFESA’s next goals include hosting more community roundtables, expanding outreach, and, resources permitting, opening a One-Stop Support Center for survivors. But they can’t do it alone.

Your support makes this work possible.
Every donation to Giving Joy fuels women-led movements like LIFESA’s, fighting for freedom, dignity, and equality where it’s needed most. Help us keep the momentum going.