Amnesty International casted more of a boulder than a stone into the mostly still pool of the sex work debate, when in August of last year the humans right’s organization publicized, in a quote take from their website, that they would now promote “full decriminalization of all aspects of consensual sex work”, essentially stating that they would now endorse the removal of legal repercussions for not only sex workers, but for the clientele, pimps, and brothel owners as well. This has been the biggest event in the sex work discussion since Sweden enacted the Sex Purchase Act in 1999, a method for legislating prostitution that became known as the Nordic model. Since it was enacted the model has spread throughout other European countries, with its …show more content…
International human rights lawyer Dianne Post has described the institution of prostitution as founded on the principle of “structural inequality by gender, class and race”, in essence painting sex work as the exploitation women of low economic standing merely because they are desperate enough to perform it (Datta & Post 3). Admittedly, sex work is a primarily female profession, though the Internet has lead to growing populations of transgender and male sex workers from the most liberal areas, such as California, to the most restrictive, like South Africa (Minichiello, Victor, Scott, and Callander), but there is simply to little data discussing these population groups to draw any definite conclusions. Where Post loses sight of her larger argument, that women should be treated as equals, is when she decidedly paints women as the victims of prostitution. This argument has blatant hypocrisy in that it ignores the fact that the majority of women participating in sex work are not trafficked sex slaves, but women willingly exchanging money for sexual acts, who are capable of facing the consequences of these actions. In fact, it is an extension of this argument that assumes that women cannot be held responsible for their actions that constitutes one of the primary failings of the Nordic …show more content…
It was founded on the feminist ideal that the casual purchase of women for sexual acts is an abominable notion in culture that claims men and women to be of equal social standing. Therefore it legalized the selling of sex work by prostitutes, yet illegalized the purchase of said work for clients (Goldberg 24). Since it was enacted in 2000, the model has spread to other countries including Norway, Iceland, and is still being considered by several other European nations, and is even being used as a reference point for sex work reform in Canada (Ka Hon Chu & Glass
Frances, S. (2012). Sex work and the law: A critical analysis of four policy approaches to adult prostitution . Thinking about justice: a book of readings (pp. 190-220). Halifax, N.S.: Fernwood Pub..
“There is no difference in work in which a women sells her hands, such as a typist, and a work in which a women sells her vagina, as in sex work.” Claims author Lacy Sloan. In today’s society, many people believe that prostitution is an immoral act. It is the world’s oldest profession and because it has been long condemned, sex workers are stigmatized from mainstream society (ProQuest Staff). However, the act of purchasing sex between consenting adults should not be prohibited by the government, but regulated for society's overall best interests. Prostitution is illegal and as a consequence prostitutes are often victims of violence and sexual assault; therefore, prostitution should be legalized and regulated to ensure the safety of sex workers.
Sweden still supplies prostitutes with medical support. Their legislation does not seek to prey on the poor prostitutes, but they target the buyers. The documentaries interviewed some Swedish people. Some sex workers said that they were taking away their customers. One guy that they interviewed said, “What kind of society are we?” He spoke of a society where we just say that prostitution is openly accepted. That when a boy becomes a man he is brought to a brothel. If we raise men in that society how can we tell them that women are of equal value? Even if it is not part of “becoming a man” how can we say that buying a women’s body for the use of sex is
Crowhurst, I., Outshoorn, J., & Skilbrei, M. (2012). Introduction: Prostitution Policies in Europe. Sexuality Research and Social Policy, 9(3), 187-191. Retrieved February 21, 2014, from http://download.springer.com/static/pdf/307/art%253A10.1007%252Fs13178-012-0100-7.pdf?auth66=1393548913_753f910350c7bb95ffab6b5eaa422617&ext=.pdf
In 2007, three prostitutes, Terri-Jean Bedford, Amy Lebovitch, and Valerie Scott came to the Canadian government to challenge the current prostitution laws after pending charges were laid against them for illegal acts prostitution (Chez Stella, 2013). The Bedford Case has opened up a debate on whether prostitution should be decriminalized in Canada. Through my research, I offer a comparative analysis of four approaches to prostitution, which aid in illustrating the effects that decriminalization would have on prostitutes, and women as a whole. The four states that I have compared are Canada, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Australia. These countries each hold different views and policies on prostitution. Canada is currently criminalized, the Netherlands is a state in which prostitution is legalized, Sweden advocates abolitionism, and in Australia, prostitution is decriminalized. Through careful analysis I have determined the effectiveness of each of the policies, and which system I believe would be best for Canada’s future. Based on this investigation, I advocate that Canada ought to adapt a similar approach to Australia, decriminalizing prostitution as a means for social, economic, and legal stability for women. It is through decriminalization that prostitutes will have the opportunity to be actively involved in the community, and no longer marginalized members of society.
Prostitution is a subject whom many people today have vocal opinions about if it should be legalized and is it moral? Can you imagine how people felt about prostitutes in the 19th century? Today people think the worst possible things of a woman who prostitutes herself and a less rigid view of women’s sexuality exists now almost two centuries later than there was then. In 2011 men and women can have a different view of prostitution and distinctive ways to correct the problem. Men today as they did almost 200 years ago would like to see prostitution legalized and regulated. Women still see prostitution as they did a moral issue that needs reformed. The data suggests that few things have changed when it comes to the punishment and help for prostitution.
Sometimes, the term “sex work” is used, as well as “prostitution”. But whichever term we choose to say, it does not eliminate the stigma attached to it. Cases such as the Bedford V. Canada Case (144) indulges into the conspiracy of sex work and challenges certain sections of the Criminal Code that make business in relation to prostitution illegal. Ideally, a sex worker has a career just as a teacher or lawyer. For this reason, their human rights and dignity should be protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms as are other professions. However, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms as well as the Criminal Code do not seek to protect sex workers, yet, they seek to do otherwise using certain sections of the Criminal Code to criminalize sex work. Therefore, sex workers demand a permanent change in the law, their rights and freedoms in order to feel less threatened about their choice of work. This paper attempts to illustrate the legal terms of sex work, the main arguments made in the Bedford Case as well as an understanding of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Criminal Code, what sex workers face and are diligently demanding.
Sanders, Teela, Maggie O’Neil, and Jane Pitcher. Prostitution: Sex Work, Policy, and Politics. London: SAGE, 2009. eBook Collection. Web. 17 Oct. 2015.
Sweden says to decriminalize the selling of sex, but to criminalize the buying of sex. This will help protect the human rights of people in prostitution while reducing the demands for paid sex. Sweden states that decriminalizing the buying of sex would protect people and make prostitution “safer.” There will be a decrease in human trafficking. There has been a study of prostitution in different countries where the buying of sex has been decriminalized. The studies show that sex trafficking is more common. It is more common because buyers can buy sex without having any problem. Traffickers do not have any business if buyers cannot
Human trafficking propaganda often serves as the justification for increasing penalties for consensual adult prostitution. As a matter of fact, Nikki Adams from the English Collective of Prostitutes confronted a former member of the British Parliament, Denis McShane, on the BBC program Newsnight because he had cited estimates that 25,000 women were trafficked into the U.K. every year. As a result, the British Parliament expanded their trafficking laws in a way like Sweden and thus those law deter independent prostitutes from working with their peers for safety reasons. “I thought that you were coming on the program to apologize because the claim is so clearly ludicrous and this Guardian article does begin to uncover the truth to what is actually going on,” said Nikki
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,
Receiving money to perform sexual actions has become either a lifestyle choice or a hostile option for the female prostitutes in the Netherlands, particularly in the city of Amsterdam. The participants involved in the legalized policy of prostitution are subjected to ambiguous impacts which involve social, political, health, and economic divisions. Since prostitution was legalized as of the year 2000, Amsterdam has seen a decline in criminal activity, allowing workers an increase in autonomy, and provides better labor conditions. (Cruz, & Iterson, 2013). ). The legalization of prostitution may have aided some of these women from escaping entrapment from pimps or has helped them into becoming independent women. An estimated 20,000 prostitutes are located in the Netherlands, 40% of the prostitutes that work in the city of Amsterdam occupy the 370 available windows, if not more, and clubs surrounding the red light district. (Cruz, & Iterson, 2013). The red light district in Amsterdam is a representation of the freedom that the city has to offer for the natives and tourists that explore their curiosity with experimental and recreational activities. However, while the surface may project a false sense of peacefulness, there is still a black market that condones itself to the trafficking of women and illicit revenues. (Vanderstok, 2010). Nonetheless there is an extensive possibility on the areas of research for issues of female prostitution in the Netherlands. The forefront for this research will be based on the types of female sex workers and the concern on the level of protection the sex workers are entitled to since the legalization of prostitution.
Prostitution is highly controversial, many claiming that the legalization would lead to more prostitution, which would therefore be a larger disgrace to society. Furthermore, an essay written by Janice G. Raymond, titled “Ten Reasons for Not Legalizing Prostitution.” This essay brings down ten legitimate reasons as to why prostitution should not be legalized, citing failed attempts in Australia and the Netherlands. The immoralities of these laws shine when, upon closer examination, the laws regard the prostitutes as mere sexual objects for profit to benefit the economy. However, as these faults are recognized, places like Amsterdam begin to alter their laws regarding prostitutions, making them more strict in an attempt to make prostitution safer. Still, organized and regulated legalized prostitution could lead to world reform in the sex trade.
Sexual objectification of women is viewing them solely as de-personalized objects of desire instead of as individuals of complex personalities, which is done by speaking or thinking of women solely by their physical attributes. Sexuality has been a controversial topic for a long time, and there have been many thinkers pondering on its effects on societies and cultures all over the world. The physical expression of sexuality is fundamental and universal. What differs is how cultures, religions and societies construe and influence both the setting in which sexual intercourse between men and women occurs and the type of relationships in which pregnancy is encouraged. The idea behind this form of controlled sexual behavior, which was enforced by culture and society, was to promote family health and welfare, and thereby create healthy societies for the survival and expansion of mankind. Prostitution, the practice of selling one’s body for the purpose of another’s sexual gratification, has existed throughout history in all parts of the world. Prostitution is considered by many a shameful, degrading, and abusive practice that fosters crime, exposes prostitutes to violence, increases sexually transmitted diseases and child prostitution, disrupts family values, and promotes sex trafficking. Legalization of prostitution has not only failed to empower the women in prostitution, but has strengthened the sex industry and the crimes associated with it.
Prostitution is the occupational service where sexual acts are exchanged for payment. Opinions of prostitution have changed drastically over the course of half a century, and are being debated worldwide. Prostitution is a very controversial topic, however there are claims that legalizing prostitution could create an overall safer environment, not only for the sex workers but the rest of society. There has been many alterations in prostitution laws and enforcement practices in several countries. Many nations have created new laws or intensified existing penalties for prostitution-related offences such as soliciting sex, purchasing sex, or pimping. Some other societies are experimenting with policies that securitize prostitution.The claims proposing these regulations are important because they are directly opposed to both the conventional benefits of prostitution and the specific allegations of anti-prostitution crusaders. In Canada and the UK, the exchange of sex for money is not illegal. However, the activities that go along with prostitution are criminal offences.“In March 2012, the Ontario Court of Appeal upheld a ban on establishments for the purposes of prostitution, which effectively makes street prostitution illegal. In the US, most jurisdictions, prostitution, solicitation, or agreeing to engage in an act of prostitution are classified as illegal. With the exception of licensed brothels in certain areas in Nevada. In the Netherlands,prostitution was legalized in the mid-1800s but it wasn’t until recently, the 1980s sex work became a legal profession. Restrictions on brothels and pimping were lifted in October 2000 and the industry is now securitized by labour law. Prostitutes are registered as legal workers....