The perceptions and attitudes of adolescent street girls on the use of traditional medicine and commercial sex work in Harare Central Business District

Abstract

The paper argues that there is a close relationship between use of traditional medicine and commercial sex work among adolescent street girls in Harare Central Business District. As a result of using the traditional medicine one could argue that this demonstrates agency of these young adults. The agency is demonstrated when these adolescent girls use the medicine to facilitate commercial sex work. On the other hand one could argue that, use of traditional medicine in commercial sex work illustrates huge rights violations prevalent on the streets of Harare Central Business District. The behaviours associated with commercial sex work and use of traditional medicine could be viewed as contravening some provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child (UNCRC) (1989), African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of Children (ACRWC) (1999). Included are violations of some of the national child rights laws and policies such as the Children’s Act (5.06), Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act (9.23) and the National Action Plan for Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children (NAP for OVCs) (2011-2015). This study is part of the researcher’s doctoral study which used street ethnography and qualitative research methodology.