Criminalizing Survival: The Policy Contradictions and Lived Realities of Sex Workers in Zimbabwe

ABSTRACT Sex work in Zimbabwe exists in a contradictory legal landscape of partial criminalization that renders sex workers vulnerable to stigma, violence, and economic insecurity. While the act itself is not outlawed, related activities such as solicitation, brothel‐keeping, and living off earnings are criminalized, deepening marginalization. This study employs feminist public policy analysis, using qualitative data from 52 sex workers, two focus groups, and 15 key informant interviews across five cities. Findings challenge reductive views of sex workers as either victims or deviants, instead framing sex work as a survival strategy shaped by exclusion from formal labor markets, gendered economic precarity, and urban inequalities. Participants describe navigating unsafe, client‐controlled spaces marked by criminalization, violence, and health risks yet also demonstrate resilience and agency through collective action and adaptive practices. Criminalization is shown to exclude sex workers from social protections, as starkly revealed during COVID‐19 relief efforts. Earnings remain below poverty levels, with stigma compounding barriers to healthcare and justice. In response, this paper proposes a “Decent Regulation” model, anchored in recognizing, humanizing, dignifying, and organizing sex workers. This rights‐based framework offers a pragmatic policy alternative that aligns with Zimbabwe's socio‐cultural realities and international human rights standards. Urgent legal reforms are needed to reconcile national policy with the lived experiences of sex workers.