By Bilesanmi Abayomi
In a recent workshop organized by the Good Women Association on Gender-Based Sexual Violence, commercial sex workers highlighted their constitutional right to reject unwanted sexual advances, particularly in cases related to the size of male genitalia, referred to as “Gbola.”
Across many African countries, including Nigeria and Cameroon, the term “Gbola” is commonly used to describe the male penis, with implications often associated with size. Many commercial sex workers face uncertainty about their clients’ genital size until they enter a private setting for business.
Sex workers confront a range of health and human rights challenges, including an elevated risk of HIV infection, inadequate care and treatment, violence from both institutions and individuals, labor rights violations, and financial insecurity.
During the workshop, participants emphasized that they have the right to reject any sexual encounter or environment that appears life-threatening or uncomfortable after an initial agreement has been reached. Importantly, they stressed that any instance where a man or client insists on penetration without the sex worker’s consent constitutes rape, a punishable offense under the law.
The workshop also called on law enforcement agencies to refrain from moral policing, harassment, intimidation, exploitation, and indiscriminate raids on the affected community. Instead, they were urged to uphold the fundamental rights of sex workers and take appropriate action when those rights are violated by individuals of the opposite sex.