Women's eNews (https://womensenews.org/author/chanda-katongo/)
A nongovernmental group in Zambia has reached out to 7,000 sex workers since 1992 and has helped many find new occupations. But other women in the impoverished country don’t think they can afford to quit. “I do this for my daughter,” one says.
Zambia has one of the world’s worst cases of HIV, and women and girls suffer a higher rate of infection. Health activists say harmful cultural practices – such as the myth that having sex with a virgin can cure AIDS – must be targeted by prevention programmers.
The latest Zambia Demographic and Health Survey revealed that not only is marital violence common here, but many wives also believe they deserve it. The Zambian parliament is discussing a bill to provide shelters for women and children fleeing abuse.