YONECO, in collaboration with MACRO and the Malawi Police Service, conducted an engagement meeting with female sex workers to address growing concerns about children connected to the streets who are seeking sexual services from them around Ntaja Trading Centre in Machinga.
During the discussion, some sex workers acknowledged that a growing number of minors are accessing their services. Among other factors, the women cited economic hardships, including declining clientele, the need to pay for their lodging and the need to meet basic necessities.
It was reported that some children offer up to MK3,000 in exchange for sexual services.
The session facilitators highlighted that engaging in sexual activities with anyone below the age of 18, regardless of gender, is a criminal offence punishable by law.
In the end, the participants agreed that minors would not be allowed to visit brothels and other hotspots where they operate. The women who attended the meeting further volunteered to report any of their colleagues who become involved in this malpractice.
Ntaja Trading Centre has approximately 70 children connected to the streets who need care and various critical social protection services.
