Prostitution Laws: Increased Risk and Inadequate Protection

Prostitution refers to the engagement of a transaction in sexual activities with someone for a payment. The actual act of sex is not illegal, what is criminalized is everything around it – owning a house and selling sex (Alati, 2017). In this paper, I will argue that prostitution laws place prostitutes at a greater risk of harm by forcing them onto the streets and disallowing them to protect themselves. First, I will discuss the key aspects of the decisions elevated in the Bedford case while, providing an outcome of the decision made, and how the government responded to these arguments. Second, I will illustrate how the media depicts the criminalization of prostitution through (insert media coverage source and name). Third, I will state my

First, in a recent article an executive director of Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights emphasizes the issue of the unsafe environment of sex workers and their violation of human rights. The health and safety of all people is crucial in Canada, the Bedford case placed a huge discrepancy with the government not giving these rights to sex workers. When Bill C-36, the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act became the new revised law, it was seen by many as flawed. It does not give sex workers the rights they deserve and does not comply with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms (Prasad, 2017). If anything, this new law creates a greater barrier for sex workers to sell sex safely. Furthermore, by restricting individuals from purchasing sex, it pushes them to the subsurface rather than having them access safety mechanisms. The Social Science evidence from Canada and throughout the world, emphasize the idea that the sex industry is being pushed into the shadows due to the criminalization of the profession (Prasad, 2017). Second, another recent article by Rick Vanderlinde claims that the oldest profession – prostitution, is being hidden behind closed doors more than ever. Although this is true, the misconception is that “the public thinks it’s illegal but it’s not” (Prasad, 2017). Moreover, there is obviously a confusion with society thinking it is illegal, but they cannot be blamed because it is not being addressed properly. This article depicts Bill C-36, the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act, as an unchanged law, rather, it proves the issue of the sex industry going into the subsurface. The internet is a platform where you can find sex workers advertising their services, which is legal because it immunizes sex workers to advertise their services,