Hunger stirs prostitution, Malawi News

The article deals with how food insecurity has led to an increase in commercial sex work, especially for young women.

Trainer’s Notes:  Although the article deals with serious issues and attempts to provide an in-depth look at the reasons why women, particularly young women, engage in sex work, the tone is often mocking and ironic, which tends to undermine the seriousness of the issues and the dignity of the women.  The article relies heavily on stereotypes (“night queen”, “the world’s oldest profession”) and the language used is problematic.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Training Exercises: Trainees can be asked to rewrite the article to improve the language, especially in the opening paragraphs.  Trainees can also be asked to conduct an analysis of the language and clichés – this can be done in small groups.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Links to Training Resources: Gender and HIV/AIDS: A Training Manual for Southern African Media and Communicators, Gender Links and the AIDS Law Project, Chapter 10              www.genderlinks.org.za/docs/training/hiv-training-manual/hiv-ch10.pdf 

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