logo

Bar Hostess Empowerment and Support Programme

Nairobi, Kenya
Joined November 2016
Presence in: Kenya

Bar Hostess Empowerment & Support Programme (BHESP) is an organization for and by sex workers, women having sex with women (WSW), women using drugs and bar hostesses in Kenya. BHESP was founded in the year 1998 by a group of these vulnerable women as a ‘loose’ association to advocate for their rights and recognition. BHESP’s mission is to influence policy and facilitate provision of quality health services, human rights awareness, legal services and economic empowerment for sex workers, WSW, women using drugs and bar hostesses in Kenya. BHESP engages these women in Kenya in HIV/AIDS Prevention, care and support, gender/ human rights awareness, advocacy and economic empowerment. The organization serves as a common voice for these vulnerable populations in efforts to reduce stigma and discrimination, while engaging various stakeholders in advocacy and policy dialogue.