Top performing poet, Linda Gabriel, is advocating for the legilisation of sex work, arguing that sex workers also need to pay their bills and put food on the table.
In many Western countries sex work is legal with systems in place to not only protect the women and men involved health-wise, but also offering safe environments for them to operate their trade. Other facilities also include regular medical check ups and provision of protection including legal assistance should there be a need.
Gabriel, who cut short a three-month European tour and a 90 days residence programme in Germany by six weeks to focus on perfecting her poem, You Think You Know Me, said sex workers’ job should be made easier.
The poem, which Gabriel said spoke to themes around sex and sex work across cultures, will be performed at the Vavasati International Women’s Festival in South Africa in August.
“The themes in You Think You Know Me are universal and relate to many people from different cultures. The Russians and Germans relate with the themes around sex and sex work, issues that are not going to end anytime soon because they have been with us and are still with us,” she said.
“These sex workers need to put food on the table and they want to pay bills. So, if legalising sex work makes the job of sex workers easier and looks like any other job, why not!”
Gabriel said she was allocated three slots from August 3 to 5, which was “a major achievement” given that this was her debut at the festival, so she decided to return home.
“I decided it deserved me to come back home to perfect the craft together with my director, Elizabeth Muchemwa,” she said.
The European tour afforded Gabriel opportunities to teach and perform poetry in schools and colleges and attend festivals.
“This tour was very exciting considering that there are people I have wanted to meet in the last four years and they have wanted to meet me as well,” she said.
Gabriel said she also met two exciting Nigerian writers, Niyi Osundare and Titilope Sonuga at the Poeise Festival in Berlin.
“I was excited to moderate a discussion between Osundare of Achebe’s generation and Sonuga, representing the young generation of writers,” she said.
Gabriel’s work interrogated themes of sex work, religion, sexual and reproductive health, HIV and Aids, forced child marriages, rape and corruption. Newday