Criminalising same sex marriages not working, says African Body
While most southern and eastern African countries continue criminalising same sex marriages, executive director for the Aids and Rights Alliance in Southern Africa (Arasa) Michaela Clayton says this is not working.
Speaking when she opened the four-day second regional capacity-strengthening convening for African Human Rights Institutions, Clayton said much remains to be done in the area as abuses for people who sleep with people of the same sex, like other key populations like sex workers, prisoners, people who use drugs continue to dog the region.
“Criminalisation does not help in bringing down the numbers of the people. Otherwise, this negatively affects them as they go underground and cannot access healthcare,” said Clayton.
Arasa, which partners with 115 organisations in 18 southern and eastern Africa region, encourages a human rights-based approach in dealing with HIV and TB.
According to Dr Zahara Nampewo of the Makerere University, there is high correlation between HIV, Aids and human rights, especially for key populations.
“When the immunity is low, due to HIV, it is easy for TB to wreck havoc. It is difficult for key populations, who include children, people with disablities, prisoners, migrants, sex workers and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex [LGBTI] people,” said Nampewo.
