Education is critical to HIV prevention

Promote Education for All
Education is critical to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support, and to mitigate the
effects of HIV on individuals, families and communities99. Education expands choices,
reduces risky behaviours, diminishes stigma and discrimination, and promotes individual
and community resilience. Education contributes to poverty reduction and the elimination
of gender inequalities, and fosters economic independence, delayed marriage, and improved
of sexuality. Education also creates economic and life opportunities apart from sex work100.
While there has been steady progress towards the global goal of Education for All, significant
gaps remain, as some 70 million children—more than half of whom are girls—are still
not enrolled in primary school. It is essential that educational opportunities be expanded to
meet the needs of children, young people and adults.
A comprehensive approach to HIV and sex work: A Call for Action, Maputo 2007102
Ensure the development of strategic plans of action on HIV and sex work as an
integral part of the national HIV response, including the collection and analysis
of data relating to HIV and sex work.
Advocacy for the promotion and protection of the human rights of sex workers
and the establishment of local, national and regional networks of sex workers.
Ensure sex workers have access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support
and to comprehensive, integrated and user-friendly health services.
Elimination of violence towards sex workers, including from clients and law
enforcement, uniformed services, and managers of sex work establishments.
Advocate for the Southern African Development Community to recognize and
support the availability of cross-border services for vulnerable groups, including
sex workers.
Eliminate stigma and discrimination by health service providers and law enforcement
officers and authorities against sex workers.
Undertake country-level mapping of sex work settings, including mobility and
migration trends, service access, and legal frameworks and their impact on the
vulnerability of sex workers and clients.
Strengthen partnerships in support of programming for HIV prevention, care,
treatment and support, and sex work, including the engagement of labour
organizations, trade unions, the private sector, local communities and national
governments.
Protect the children of sex workers from discrimination and harm, paying particular
attention to their ability to attend school and prioritizing measures to
reduce their vulnerability to entry into sex work.
In consultation with sex workers, create employment and educational opportunities
responding to the identified needs of sex workers, such as microfinance
opportunities, and support the provision of vocational skills training, including
for sex workers living with HIV.
Support comprehensive programmes for clients, including respect for the human
rights of sex workers and client responsibility.
Promote sexuality education, gender equity and equality, partner communication
and prevention of HIV, within marriage and cohabiting relationships to
reduce demand for sex work.