Country Case Studies on Sex Work and HIV Prevention 113
as sex workers, men who have sex with men, and injecting drug users makes coverage of these populations particularly challenging (UNAIDS 2008). Structural barriers facing sex workers are not only related to laws and policies but to religion as well. Sex workers in northern states may be further driven into hiding through the recent adoption of Muslim Sharia law that began in Zamfara State in the year 2000 and expanded to a total of 12 states in Northern Nigeria and which further bans sex work as well as homosexuality and pre-marital and extramarital sex (Pierce 2000; Onyeneho 2009). Punishments for these activities may range from flogging, amputation, stoning, to death for violation of the laws and have sentences for death by stoning have been reported for cases of extramarital sex and sodomy.(Steiner 2002; BBC News 2007) Violence, Stigma and Discrimination. In 2006, a report by Amnesty International documented the prevalence of rape against women and girls among the general population in Nigeria that is perpetrated by police and security forces while on and off duty. Box 3.1 The Culture of Sexual The stigma and blame that is often Violence against Sex Workers associated with rape and experience by “Most often, the police will come to victims has resulted in a lack of reporting our brothel in the night, march us which allows police to commit such into their waiting van. They will take violence without repercussion or justice. us to either Third Mainland Bridge or the Bar Beach. They will beat and The report, in particular, highlighted the rape us. They sleep with us without violence against sex workers, indicating protection.” - Lagos Sex Worker that the criminalization of sex work creates an opportunity for police to “Raping of sex workers is one of raid streets frequented by sex workers, the fringe benefits attached to night arresting and gang raping the women patrol. We used to lobby for night (Amnesty International 2006). Five patrol duties.” - Police Officer in the Ikeja years later, media continue to report on Police Station the culture of sexual violence against Source: Salaudeen 2011. sex workers with impunity that exists within the police force that allows this trend to continue unchecked (see Box 3.1) (Salaudeen 2011). Violence perpetrated by clients is another one of many forms of violence that may be experienced by sex workers (Shannon and Csete 2010). Qualitative research was conducted among brothel-based, street working, and other informal sex workers in Abia State to specifically understand the experiences of violence and management/mitigation tactics of sex workers. Participants indicated fear of client violence—predominantly physical violence such