Table 1 Workshop curriculum for female sex workers

The first module, will be devoted to building trust and meaningful communication, and aims to help participants appreciate the value of team support, trust, and cooperation; and understand the importance of listening to and communicating their feelings with others.

The second module will explore participants’ perceptions on what it means to be an ideal man and an ideal woman, examine what they feel about themselves, encourage them to be less judgmental about others, and build their self-esteem.

In the third module will focus on understanding relationships. Participants will describe and discuss their intimate relationships, explain their understanding and expectations of loving relationships, identify behaviours that are controlling or abusive between lovers, and consider explanations for such behaviour.

The fourth module will teach participants about their body, HIV-related risks in intimate relationships, and how to reduce such risks.

The fifth module, will focus on intimate partner violence and will help participants recognize violence in intimate relationships, categorize types of violence, consider why women tolerate violence, understand the effects of violence on women and their family and community, and refuse to tolerate violence.

The sixth module will teach participants about their rights and laws relating to domestic violence and violence against women, explore why women remain with violent partners, and asks women whether life without violence is possible. It will also train women how to react when their partner becomes violent, without antagonizing him.

The seventh module will focus on support and solidarity. Participants will consider the value of women’s solidarity; learn how to prepare personal safety plans, identify allies, map a support network; and pledge to support to one another.

In the eighth module, participants will examine their changed beliefs, discuss how they should act on such changes, plan change in greater detail, envision their life without violence and the changes that this will require, and develop an action plan.