2nd National Conference on HIV/AIDS and Gender Based Sexual Violence among Female Bar Workers in Kenya

Submitted by PURPLE IMAGES on 13 May, 2008 - 04:55.
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1. Event Title: 2nd National Conference on HIV/AIDS and Gender Based Sexual Violence among Female Bar Workers in Kenya
2. Dates: Monday, September 29th - Wednesday September 31st 2008
3. Venue: Kenyatta International Conference Centre, Nairobi Kenya

4. Conference Organizers: The Kenya Bar Hostess AIDS Programme and Purple Images Productions

5. Conference Partners:

  • The National Aids Control Council (NACC)
  • East African Breweries Ltd
  • Kenya Human Rights Commission
  • Maendeleo Ya Wanawake
6. Special features of the conference
  • Award to Bar Hostesses who have performed exemplary work in HIV/AIDS and Sexual Violence Against Women
  • Special media coverage of the conference
  • Educational and Cultural performances by Bar Hostesses
  • Video shows on the problems facing Bar Hostesses
  • Launch of Bar Hostess Union / Bar Workers Cooperative Union
  • Customer Care Training for Bar Hostesses

7. Conference Brief:
In Kenya today, there are currently over 40,000 bars employing an average of 4 bar hostesses. This makes a total of over 160,000 bar hostesses countrywide. A simple survey conducted in Nairobi by Kenya Bar Hostess Aids Programme in 2003 showed that about 90% of the bar hostesses are sexually active with multiple sexual partners. The rate of infection and exposure to sexually transmitted infections including HIV/AIDS is therefore higher than the national average. Assuming of the 90% of the 160,000 Bar Hostesses nationwide, 80% of them are exposed to the virus, this translates to 5.2% of national average of people living with HIV/AIDS being bar hostess. This is a very high percentage considering that bar hostesses are just 0.5 % of the total national population. The Kenya Bar Hostess Aids Programme and Purple Images Productions consider this a big risk to the bar hostesses and believe that the only way to combat this is through targeted behavior change communication and economic empowerment to reduce the need for commercial sex. With regard to sexual violence, bar hostesses are socially stigmatized and discriminated. Most bar patrons regard bar hostesses as third rate citizens and often as mere sex objects to be abused. The bar hostess profession is socially stigmatized by health officials and the police in particular are known to harass bar hostesses as either "disease carriers or criminals.' A majority bar hostesses have found themselves exposed to all forms of Sexual Violence including forced and unprotected sex and physical Sexual Violence from their supervisors, employers, the police and even their clients and partners. Apart from the forced sex, some bar hostesses are daily physically assaulted and raped while others voluntarily have one or more sexual partners in one day.

8. Conference Objectives: To provide a forum for Bar Hostesses to share experiences, challenges and lessons learnt on HIV/AIDS
prevention and management and Sexual Violence against women. To impart life skills among bar hostesses to enable them address issues that promote the spread of HIV in
the context of their high risk environment. To address social stigma and discrimination among bar hostesses affected and infected with HIV/AIDS and to promote care and support for bar hostesses living with HIV at the community level and to promote their participation in the care and support activities for their colleagues and AIDS orphans in the targeted communities. To promote the creation of alternative economic empowerment opportunities such as income generating activities to mitigate the spread of HIV/AIDS among bar hostesses To draw recommendations and the way forward for strengthening and expanding the role of bar hostesses in the prevention of gender Sexual Violence and HIV/AIDS

9. Conference Presentation Topics: Stigma and Discrimination Behavior Change Communication Bar Hostesses and Sexual Violence Reproductive Health and Reproductive Health Rights Women's health and safe motherhood Drug abuse and Bar Hostesses The social economic impact of AIDS among Bar Hostesses Commercial sex and HIV Infection Income generation projects as an alternative to poor employment terms and commercial sex

10. Conference Costs

Bar hostesses will come in free but must register in advance. Accommodation scholarships to rural Bar Hostesses needing support to participate in the conference will be provided at a cost of Ksh 1000 per person which also includes an out of pocket allowance at Ksh 500 and return bus fares. Lunch and refreshments for conference delegates will also be provided. All other delegates to pay Kshs 10,000 per person which will cater for meals and materials

To be part of this great event, please register by completing the form below. Payment of the participation fee stipulated above is required to guarantee a slot in the limited places available. This fee covers lunches, teas & conference materials.

Registration of delegates and the stakeholders is in process. There is a technical committee to receive and review abstract papers from the presenters and workshop facilitators. After reviewing the abstract papers on the different themes of the conference, the final list of the facilitators and delegates will be made and sent to the donor alongside the final conference programme.

All correspondence should be emailed to the attention of:


Ms. Janet Ondieki
The Conference Coordinator
2nd National Conference on HIV/AIDS & Gender Violence among Bar Workers in Kenya Secretariat
Mbuchia House, 3rd Flr, West Wing, Westlands, Nairobi, Kenya
P.O BOX 58182 - 00200 Nairobi
Telephone: 254-20-4450937/ 4452674
Cell: 0720 210819/ 0722 634947
Email: purplemedia2000 @ yahoo.com

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