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South African sex work activist, Duduzile ¡§Dudu¡¨ Dlamini, was honoured at
the 22nd International AIDS Conference in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, with a
prize named after the late trailblazer Prudence Mabele, who was the first
black woman to reveal her HIV status in South Africa. Dlamini ¡V a
long-time advocate for the rights and health of sex workers, as well as
founder of Mothers for the Future (M4F) ¡V received the premiere Prudence
Mabele Prize from the International AIDS Society (IAS) on Thursday, 26 July
2018.
M4F is a network which strives to reverse the factors that make sex workers
and their families vulnerable to stigma, discrimination and HIV. Under
Dlamini, it has grown from an informal support network into a powerful
social welfare system for moms who are sex workers throughout South Africa.
Dlamini is also an ambassador for the Coalition for Children Affected by
AIDS.
As part of her prize, she received a $25,000 cash award, the largest
monetary prize ever given at an international AIDS conference. The new
Prudence Mabele Prize aims to shine a global spotlight on the remarkable
work of gender justic and health equity activists, said AIDS 2018 in a media
release on their site.
¡§Duduzile (Dudu) Dlamini is helping change the future for sex workers in
South Africa,¡¨ IAS President, Linda-Gail Bekker, said. ¡§Her work truly
embodies the values, spirit and activism of Prudence Mabele.¡¨
In 1992, Mabele became the first black woman in South Africa to publicly
reveal her HIV-positive status; and became a trailblazer for the rights of
women and people living with HIV until her death in 2017. The new prize
recognised and celebrated those who carry on the fight in her name, said
AIDS 2018.
Dlamini said, ¡§I am honoured to receive this recognition, named after a
great South African activist who spoke truth to power, on behalf of all of
the women and families we serve at M4F¡¨.
AIDS 2018 was held from 23 to 27 July 2018, with the theme, ¡§Breaking
Barriers Building Bridges¡¨.
¡V Source:
www.sapeople.com |
