News24 reports that the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE) believes recent developments regarding the future of sex work in SA mark "significant progress" towards legalising the practice and the status of sex workers.

This was indicated following the decision by the Deputy Justice and Constitutional Development Minister John Jeffrey to hold consultative meetings to consider the decriminalisation of sex work. "This step marks a significant progress towards exploring the possibility of the decriminalisation of sex work and sex workers in South Africa," the Chapter 9 body said in a statement on Tuesday. The Witness earlier reported that the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development had begun engagements with representatives of the pro-decriminalisation sector on Wednesday. "It is important that we fully engage with stakeholders regarding the proposed policy options, as there are many divergent views. We need to further engage with relevant government departments to ascertain the implications of changing the legislative framework, and we also engage the public on their views," Jeffery had commented. According to the CGE, the continued criminalisation, and prohibitionist legal framework which has treated sex work as a criminal act, goes against the human rights of sex workers in SA. The commission reiterated its position that the continued criminalisation of sex workers exposed them to various abuses.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Canny Maphanga at News24

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