Bar hostesses in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, met on Thursday and Friday last week to discuss their rights, working conditions and HIV/AIDS before the weekend trade kicked off.
According to Kenya's Daily Nation newspaper, Beatrice Nyawira of the Kenya Bar Hostess AIDS Programme, said 5.2 percent of people living with HIV/AIDS in the country were barmaids and the number was growing, so every move to reduce the spread of the disease among this vulnerable group was urgent.
Participants complained that their employers were forcing them to engage in commercial sex with patrons, putting them at risk of contracting the virus.
The bar hostesses resolved to form a union to push for workplace rights, explored alternative income generation options and discussed drug abuse.
The conference also decided to strengthen networks to care for members infected by HIV. The National Aids Control Council has promised to include bar attendants and other vulnerable groups in programmes to help curb the spread of AIDS.
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
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