priority areas in which voov works on
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Enhance knowledge and skills of vulnerable women who are disproportionately affected by HIV and AIDS, to protect and care for themselves and those affected
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Strengthen linkages between service providers and vulnerable women to collaboratively provide information on HIV and AIDS, and quality services
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Strengthen partnerships among women disproportionately affected by HIV and AIDS to address their needs and impact of development challenges including HIV, SRHR and poverty.
Projects
VOOV faces a political issue as the law does not recognise sex workers as workers. In this case the work we do is seen as illegal in the country, which makes us more vulnerable to any situation, such as exposure to violence and diseases. We are not protected by law. This also limits us to access many services which are supposed to be given to all citizens or reduces many opportunities for the organisation.
Shrinking donor funding means we don’t have resources to sustain our work in the long term. We still do not have a working space with good systems. A lack of staff capacity to support the work of Voice of Our Voices is also a challenge.
A big challenge is internalised stigma, and stigma and discrimination from others. There are challenges created by cultural beliefs and some people’s attitudes, including the leadership in Eswatini on addressing the issues of key populations in the country. In some instances, where the government stigmatises key populations, we use the constitution as a major tool to bring harmony and continuity to operate in the country freely. With some stakeholders and partners the main message is that we should be treated as human beings and understand that we need each other for the mission to be accomplished. The church makes the assertion that our organisation is here to promote sex work by the advocating for sex workers’ protection, and this limits the partnering to local organisations who are affiliated with Christianity.
Most sex workers here are not familiar with using the internet and are not using some websites that could help them. VOOV has trained some sex workers in IT, but we need to work more in this area.