Sex workers and sex worker advocates in Durban, Polokwane, Cape Town and Johannesburg took to the streets on Monday to honour International Sex Worker Rightsâ Day. Similar marches were held in cities and towns all over the world. The protesters were calling attention to the human rights abuses suffered by sex workers and demanded legal recognition of sex work as a form of employment.
Marlise Richter
News | 4 March 2014
Ugandaâs brutal new anti-gay law puts Dembe Ainebyona (not her real name) in a difficult situation because she may never see her country of birth again.
Tariro Washinyira
News | 4 March 2014
The leaders who spoke of an African renaissance and who brought about the African Union ignored gay rights. We are seeing the consequences of their omission today.
Leon Linz
Opinion | 3 March 2014
On 24 February 2014, Uganda passed legislation that criminalises homosexuality. Paul Semugoma, a gay Ugandan activist who recently gained temporary residence in South Africa, says that the legislationâs impact will be extensive among all Ugandan society. The legislation, according to Paul, is more about consolidating President Yoweri Museveniâs power ahead of the 2016 Ugandan elections than about dealing with any meaningful social ill.
Jonathan Dockney
News | 27 February 2014
Cape Town Pride 2014 (CTP) takes place from 21 February to 1 March. The annual festival aims to celebrate gay rights in South Africa. This yearâs theme is âuniting cultures in Cape Townâ. However, people from communities around Cape Town have said that they feel CTP excludes them and the serious issues affecting them as gay people.
Jonathan Dockney and GroundUp Staff
News | 27 February 2014
Paul Kasonkomona, a human rights activists working in Zambia, has been acquitted after almost a year of legal proceedings.
Jonathan Dockney
News | 26 February 2014
The battle against Ugandaâs anti-homosexual law is not over. Health and HIV may be the new frontier to confront homophobia explains Dr Andrew Tucker.
Andrew Tucker
Opinion | 24 February 2014
On 20 February 2014, a preliminary ruling will be made in the case of The People v Kasonkomona in the Lusaka Magistrates Court. The ruling will determine if Paul Kasonkomona needs to defend himself against the stateâs case or if the case should be dismissed and Kasonkomona acquitted.
Jonathan Dockney
News | 15 January 2014
On 14 December, the Desmond Tutu Foundation will host a beauty pageant called Mr and Miss Gay Ekasi in Salt River. Most participants will be from Khayelitsha and other Cape Town townships. Does the popularity of events like these mean it is becoming easier to be gay or lesbian in Cape Townâs largest township?
Pharie Sefali
News | 28 November 2013
On 15 October, 250 rural women and activists marched to Parliament as part of the activities held worldwide for the International Day for Rural Women.
Sibusiso Tshabalala
Brief | 21 October 2013
On September 30, the government announced the second increase this year in disability grants, old age pensions, care dependency grants and war veterans' pensions. These increases will come in addition to the child support grant and grant-in-aid increases, which were already budgeted for in March. Although the increase is only R10, it will equate to a R41 million increase in government spending per month.
Gabrielle Kelly
Opinion | 7 October 2013
Hundreds gathered in Gugulethu last week when Deputy Minister of Police Makhotsho Maggie Sotyu addressed the relationship between the police, and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) community and sex workers.
Pharie Sefali
News | 3 September 2013
Teenage pregnancy and the stigmatisation that accompanies it continue to expose deep seated prejudices that exist in our society. Given the prevailing attitude of vilifying pregnant girls it should come with little surprise that many schools opt for a punitive response by banishing pregnant girls from school.
Lisa Andrews and Lisa Draga
Opinion | 14 August 2013
Last week Thursday, Womenâs Hope Education and Training Trust (WHEAT) launched a book called âEvery Scar tells a storyâ. The book is the compilation of writings by eight beneficiaries of WHEATâs first writing workshop, which took place in April 2013 in Kleinmond.
Tariro Washinyira
News | 14 August 2013
GroundUp has learned that Khayelitsha will be getting a specialised Sexual Offences Court. Government announced that 22 new Sexual Offenses Courts are to be set up by the end of 2013.
Nwabisa Pondoyi
News | 13 August 2013
On 19 July 2013, the Sex Workers Education and Advocacy Taskforce (SWEAT) hosted the Sisonke Open University Seminar on sex workers and people with disabilities. Ntokozo Yingwana, an Advocacy Officer at SWEAT, said that the seminar dealt with disability in the sex industry. She said she hoped the conference would help lift the stigma on this topic.
Jonathan Dockney
News | 24 July 2013