swedish model
http://www.glow-boell.de/media/de/txt_rubrik_2/160305LLVortrag_Eriksson.pdf
Sweden - background:
- State feminism: Sweden sees itself as the most gender equal country in the world.
- Feminism has very much been absorbed from being a grass-roots movement into
being the governments' responsibility. It is linked to the national identity. Few
people in public discourse would openly admit to being non-feminist.
- Prostitution has been nearly invisible for many decades, compared to other
European countries. Very few Swedish people have ever met or seen a prostitute
(at least knowingly).
The arguments in the promotion of the law:
- The criminalisation will empower women.
i. make them think twice before entering prostitution
ii. make it easier to resist if others try to force them into prostitution
iii. many of those already in prostitution will quit if it becomes illegal
- It will have a symbolic value: Make clear that in Sweden we do not accept
prostitution.
- The last years a new argument has been used a lot: The law can be used against
trafficking law to other European countries. The strategy seems to have been to mainly focus on the trafficking argument, and not so much on the Geschlechtshandel argument.
From recent articles and research. Along with the info below, the police officials do say the numbers of foreign sex workers entering the country has been greatly reduced, so to that end, it has been a great success.
As for Sweden, a report from the Norwegian Ministry of Justice and the Police (2004) found that “Sweden’s legal experiment did not greatly reduce the number of women engaging in street sex work. Figures from Stockholm show that the total number of women on the street has remained stable 1999-2003. The report found that during this period street sex workers became more fearful of violence, were pressured to reduce prices and were pressured to engage in unprotected sex.” (Ironically, Norway is now considering the Swedish Model.)
A study by the Sweden’s own National Health and Welfare Board also found that the law had put sex workers at increased danger of violence due to fewer customers to choose from. A study by the Swedish Police Board found that competition for few clients meant that prices dropped and sex workers were more likely not to use condoms or take more clients to try and earn enough money. The same study reported that people in the health care system expressed concern about health getting worse among sex workers.
The police board further mentioned that the law was an obstacle to prosecuting traffickers, since clients, who had previously assisted women and been key witnesses, were no longer willing to come forward since they were considered criminals themselves.
According to 20 Swedish sex workers that Petra Ostegren interviewed, many sex workers have moved to work indoors by placing ads on the internet. However, sex workers in flats complain that they must work alone and face isolation. Ostegren reports that the sex workers who were in the worst conditions to begin with, often drug-users or homeless sex workers, have seen the worst changes since they have remained on the street where conditions have deteriorated the most.
Sex workers report that police in trying to enforce the law swarm the streets where women are working with video cameras, even filming inside cars to find “evidence”. Police have also used condoms “evidence” of prostitution, discouraging both women and customers from carrying them.
What are other “reduce or end-demand” programs?
http://swannet.org/en/node/577
Related, an article on a governmental study 5 years after in New Zealand.
Canada is at the same point as New Zealand several years ago. New Zealand decriminalized the sex business in 2003, and five years later an exhaustively researched government report was issued. While not a total panacea, it improved the safety situation for sex workers. And the fear mongering from the prohibitionists was shown to be have been unfounded.
http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/act+helps+health+and+safety+sex+workers+report+says
And reading articles and comments elsewhere, there seems to be an lot of fiction that gets naively believed and repeated by prohibitionists looking to somehow justify keeping the unenforced laws.
From the article linked above:
Act helps health and safety of sex workers, report says
Associate Justice Minister Lianne Dalziel today welcomed a report which shows the Prostitution Reform Act (PRA) 2003 has had a positive effect on the health and safety of sex workers and has not led to a predicted increase in their numbers.
"The report indicates that the numbers have remained more or less the same since the Act came into force and that most sex workers are better off under the PRA than they were previously, which was the intention of the Act.
"There's no evidence of increased numbers of people being used in underage prostitution. In fact, the PRA has raised awareness of the problem," Lianne Dalziel said.
"The PRA has had a marked effect in safeguarding the rights of sex workers. Removing the taint of illegality has empowered sex workers by reducing the opportunity for coercion and exploitation."
The report says many of the perceptions held about the sex industry are based on stereotypes and a lack of information.
Lianne Dalziel said the report shatters several myths with the following findings:
Much of the reporting on the numbers of sex workers and underage involvement in prostitution has been exaggerated.
There is no link in New Zealand between the sex industry and human trafficking.
More articles looking into the Swedish model, by Swedish journalists:
http://www.thelocal.se/9621/20080110/
Isabella Lund, 46, a spokeswoman for the Sex-workers and Allies Network in Sweden (SANS), began working as an escort four years ago after quitting her job as a nurse. She believes there is more prostitution now than in 1999.
I see how the Swedish model has been a complete success in cracking down on underage sex work.
www.thelocal.se/22054/20090914/
Around 20,000 young Swedes have sold sex, primarily over the internet, a new study shows.The report by the Swedish National Board for Youth Affairs (Ungdomsstyrelsen) also finds that more boys than girls have been paid for having sex with others, results which echo a similar study carried out in 2004.
According to the study, 43 percent of young people between the ages of 16- and 25-years-old believe that getting paid for sex is acceptable, as long as the parties involved are in agreement, Sveriges Radio (SR) reports.
yup, but it's the be all end all....what a joke.......
Melissa Farley's suspect research "methods" and why studies presented by her & her group are fundamentally flawed:
Summary: Deconstructing “research” like this is very important. Because this kind of work fits into dominant political and ideological agendas it is often accepted at face value despite its tremendous flaws. Policy should be based on scientific research and sound logic, not on biased research that simply fits into a political or ideological agenda.
Prostitution needs to be understood as a complex social phenomenon involving the exchange of sex for money in a multitude of ways and for a wide range of reasons. When we reduce it to “men violating women” we render invisible all of the male or transgender prostitutes, all of the women or transgender clients, and all of the respectful interactions between purchaser and provider.
We do no service to women, to families, to communities by accepting reductionist and reactionary analysis of sex work or of violence against women.
Some excerpts:
"It is important to stress, again and again, that Farley’s research cannot be considered reliable and certainly doesn’t approach even basic scientific standards."
http://sexinthepublicsquare.wordpress.com/2008/04/30/melissa-farley-in-s...
"A new ‘research’ report with the problematic title “Challenging Men’s Demand for Prostitution in Scotland: A research report based on interviews with 110 men who bought women in prostitution”
We do not know if there was any ethical review of the methods prior to the conducting of the study. Instead of any statement of ethics regarding the use of human subjects we have a long statement about the pain and anguish suffered by the researchers. While recognizing the subjectivity of researchers is an important aspect of feminist methodology, this statement is over the top:
“The interviewers reported feeling skeptical about the men’s professed ignorance about prostituted women, fearful about the possibility of being stalked by the interviewees, physically revolted, had flashbacks to their own previous experiences of sexual violence, questioned some aspects of their own relationships with the men in their lives, and at times felt the inclination to dissociate or drink alcohol in order to numb painful emotional reactions to the interviews. ” (p. 7)
Of course the men apparently gave the kinds of answers that Farley’s team was expecting. Now, because of inattention to methodological issues and to the write-up itself, we are not given a copy of the 100-item questionnaire on attitudes toward prostitution, rape myths, and about sexual behavior and sexual violence. Nor are we provided a copy of the 34-item questionnaire about “hostile masculinity” designed by Dr. Neil Malamuth. Nor are we given a copy of the 64-item structured interview guide on men’s history and preferences around purchasing sex, their perceptions of prostitutes, their knowledge of pimps, and how they talk about prostitution with their friends. Since we can’t see the questions it is difficult to evaluate the findings.
Given, though, that some of the basic demographics can’t be trusted (the income categories overlap, for example, we don’t know whether a person with a family income of, say 20,000 pounds is in the 20,000 or less category or is in the 20,000-30,000 category) it is hard to have faith in the other data.
And perhaps the biggest methodological flaw, the one that Farley and her research partners commit most often, is the lack of any comparison group. We learn a lot about these 110 men, but we know nothing about any similarly situated group of 110 men who do not purchase sex. So we don’t know whether the propensity to violence or the misogyny has anything at all to do with these men’s purchasing of sex.
The authors find that, when asked, a vast majority of their respondents (89%) agreed that being added to a sex offender registry would deter them from buying sex (p. 27). They use this data to recommend exactly that policy. This is interesting given that just a few paragraphs earlier they note that “the men’s responses suggest that there are a number of equally effective alternatives that would reduce men’s demand for prostitution.” Why do the authors then go for the most damaging of the public humiliations? Precisely, I imagine, because it creates a legal connection between prostitution and sex abuse. It reifies the sense that buying sex is committing rape, which is exactly the starting point from which these authors began.
There are more reliable sources for research and studies, and even simple anecdotal stories and discoveries:
Research for Sex Work is an annual journal dedicated to the topic of research on sex work. It aims to provide a platform for the exchange of ideas, experiences, observations and research results with regards to sex work and HIV prevention in the broader framework of health and human rights. Although the title suggests otherwise, Research for Sex Work is not an academic journal. Readers and authors are from sex workers (support) organisations, HIV prevention projects, local and international NGOs, universities, research institutes, etc.
Research for Sex Work welcomes three types of articles: 1) research results, 2) project or programme descriptions and 3) analyses/overview articles.
www.researchforsexwork.org/about
Sex Worker's Rights Issue #10
Research for Sex Work 10 (July 2008)
http://www.aol.in/news/photogallery/sex-workers-india-09
this is a series of photos with sub text regarding a rally held by sex works in callcutta to protest a crack down on their clients....ie- the swedish model.below are 2 excerpts;
"Two Indian sex workers try to hide their faces from being photographed as they march in a protest rally in Calcutta, India, Tuesday, July 1, 2008. The rally was organized to protest against the proposed amendment to India's Immoral Traffic Prevention Act (ITPA) which would involve a crackdown on the clients of sex workers."
"Male sex worker Bhaskar, right, speaks, as colleague Sunil looks at him during the inauguration program of the All India Conference of Entertainment Workers in Calcutta, India, Sunday, Feb. 25, 2007. The seven days conference will address issues of equitable economic, social and, political status for all entertainment workers."
I've moved your post here, susan, because I think it's a good idea to try to stick to one thread for posts on the same subject. I think this will fit fine here.
k, cool! i just posted another article, maybe under the decrim thread?
Yup, good idea. I just closed the other ones and directed people to the open threads.
In response to the supposed 90% decrease in 'human trafficking for sexual purposes' in Sweden - this stat has been widely used by the abolitionists and widely countered by other studies.... Ive pasted an excerpt from a piece I wrote against the Swedish system if it is helpful to counter their claims. References below.
by emily van der muelen
While the abolitionists like to say there has been a 90% reduction, other studies claim 50% (Norway 2004, 10), and still others say a margin of 30%-50% decrease (Ekberg 2004, 1193).
Recent studies though have suggested that the decrease in street-based work was not due to the legislative changes but instead because of the greater ability to make arrangements with clients via cell phones and the internet (RFSU 2003, 19, 31; Norway 2004, 11; Cederberg 2004, 8).
Other studies have suggested that street-based sex work is again on the rise and that it is possible that many of the women who initially left the streets only temporarily worked indoors where there was less visibility and more protection for clients (RFSU 2003). Still other studies have shown that the visible decrease in street-based sex work is due to a shift in the industry to more underground and less safe areas where there is more exposure to violence (Gould 2002, 203; RFSU 2003, 9; Svanstrom 2004, 244).
A 2004 Norwegian government study concluded that it has been difficult to discern whether or not there has been a decrease in violence towards sex workers in Sweden since the 1999 passing of the law. Incidents of violence were not systematically reported prior to the legislative changes and so there are no comparative statistics (Norway 2004, 12). One investigator in Malmo concluded, "the situation of prostitutes has deteriorated since the passing of new legislation" (Gould 2002, 203).
Despite the evidence from both sex workers and research studies, Swedish opinion polls show overwhelming support for the continued criminalization of the purchasing of sexual services and the public largely see it as a move towards increased women's rights. For
example, a 2001 poll reported that 70% of the population supported this abolitionist form of criminalization (Gould 2002, 204). Further
polls conducted in 1999, 2001, and 2002 demonstrated an approximate 80% approval rating of the sex work legislation (Ekberg 2004,
1204-1205).
Cederberg, I. W. (2004). Prostitution in Sweden 2003: Knowledge,
beliefs and attitudes of key informants No. 2). Sweden: Government of
Sweden. Retrieved from www.socialstyrelsen.se
Gould, Arthur. "Sweden's Laws on Prostitution: Feminism, Drugs and
the Foreign Threat." Susanne Thorbek and Bandana Pattanai (eds.).
Transnational Prostitution: Changing Global Patterns. New York: Zed
Books. 2002. pp. 201-217
Government of Norway (Norway). "Purchasing Sexual Services in Sweden
and the Netherlands: Legal Regulation and Experiences." Working Group
on the Legal Regulation of the Purchase of Sexual Services. Government
of Norway Report, Ministry of Justice and the Police, 2004.
Kilvington, Judith, Sophie Day and Helen Ward. "Prostitution Policy in
Europe: A Time of Change?" Feminist Review Spring 2001, pp.78-93.
Kulick, Don. "Sex in the New Europe: The Criminalization of Clients
and Swedish Fear of Penetration. " Anthropological Theory, Vol. 3, No.
2. 2003. pp. 199-218.
RFSU (The Swedish Association for Sexuality and Education). (2003)
Prostitution på internet. RFSU, Stockholm 2003. Retrieved 12/03, 2007,
from http://www.rfsu.se/default_en-us.asp
Svanstrom, Y. (2004). Criminalizing the john - a Swedish gender model?
In J. Outshoorn (Ed.), The politics of prostitution: Women's
movements, democratic states and the globalization of sex commerce.
(pp. 225-244). London: Cambridge University Press.
from a supporter....
"A recent Par el post stated there has been a. "90 % decrease in human trafficking for sexual purposes' in Sweden." While prohibitionists often cite these kinds of claims, research on the topic shows a much different, and far more complex, picture. Perhaps, those who originally cited this statistic could provide information that backs up this statement. Failing that, we can only assume we're dealing with propaganda - the Big Lie.
According to a 2003 report by the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare, the body assigned by the Swedish government to monitor prostitution in that country, "there have been no significant (emphasis added) changes in the extent of prostitution since 1999." The report goes on to note small increases and declines in various cities, all based on street level sex work. It acknowledges that, "it is considerably more difficult to develop a clear view of indoor prostitution, as it is more hidden." It further notes that, as is the case in Canada, "In recent years, the Internet has become a new arena of contacts linked to prostitution, pornography and other sex-related activities" and that, "It is difficult to estimate the number of men and women who sell sexual services via the Internet, partly because web sites and other contact channels on the Internet are constantly changing." http://www.socialstyrelsen.se/publikationer2004/2004-131-28/Summary
I talk to Vancouver police officers that tell me the same thing; the industry is increasingly difficult to track (Just think Craig's list and go from there.). In Vancouver, research has shown that up to 80 % of sex work occurs indoors.
As is broadly acknowledged (by virtually all national governments, the United Nations and every credible researcher on trafficking), trafficking is tremendously more difficult to detect and track than sex work. I've done a considerable amount of work on trafficking and I have never seen a claim that trafficking has been reduced in Sweden by 90 percent. I could say the same about any other country one would care to name.
The Norwegian government issued a very interesting report on sex work in Sweden and the Netherlands, which looks at a number of things, including the impact of the Swedish law. It's another study that found it difficult to be definitive about the impact of the law, the level of sex work in Sweden or the level of violence against sex workers. You can find it at this link.
http://www.regjeringen.no/en/dep/jd/Documents-and-publications/Reports/Reports/2004/Purchasing-Sexual-Services.html?id=106214
Personally, I don't believe that evidence can be brought forward to support the 90 % statement. It certainly appears that, as far as prohibitionists are concerned, accuracy and fairness is meaningless. As astonishing as that is, it is far more shameful
Related, an article on a governmental study 5 years after in New Zealand.
Canada is at the same point as New Zealand several years ago. New Zealand decriminalized the sex business in 2003, and five years later an exhaustively researched government report was issued. While not a total panacea, it improved the safety situation for sex workers. And the fear mongering from the prohibitionists was shown to be have been unfounded.
http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/act+helps+health+and+safety+sex+workers+report+says
And reading articles and comments elsewhere, there seems to be an lot of fiction that gets naively believed and repeated by prohibitionists looking to somehow justify keeping the unenforced laws.
From the article linked above:
Act helps health and safety of sex workers, report says
Associate Justice Minister Lianne Dalziel today welcomed a report which shows the Prostitution Reform Act (PRA) 2003 has had a positive effect on the health and safety of sex workers and has not led to a predicted increase in their numbers.
"The report indicates that the numbers have remained more or less the same since the Act came into force and that most sex workers are better off under the PRA than they were previously, which was the intention of the Act.
"There's no evidence of increased numbers of people being used in underage prostitution. In fact, the PRA has raised awareness of the problem," Lianne Dalziel said.
"The PRA has had a marked effect in safeguarding the rights of sex workers. Removing the taint of illegality has empowered sex workers by reducing the opportunity for coercion and exploitation."
The report says many of the perceptions held about the sex industry are based on stereotypes and a lack of information.
Lianne Dalziel said the report shatters several myths with the following findings:
Much of the reporting on the numbers of sex workers and underage involvement in prostitution has been exaggerated.
There is no link in New Zealand between the sex industry and human trafficking.
I read this report too and plan to look at it more closely. One thing I did notice, which I think is a problem in terms of actually knowing what's going on is that the whole system is based on self-reporting, rather than on an inspection basis. As in any system that relies on the participants to report, there was reference to the likelihood of repercussions that many people aren't able to deal with.
which is why we are supporting on open transparent and accountable industry subjected to the same kind of work place safety inspections as any other industry.with clear guidlines and standards in place.
susan, what's to stop a whole other underground from forming, which is something that various people and reports have alluded to? It sounds to me as though, in jurisdictions where some models of decrim/legalization have been implemented, including but not limited to, sweden, this problem happens. Whether it's trafficking, involvement of minors, or avoidance of the regulatory structure, this happens anyway. It suggests that those who are already relatively safer (indoors and who charge more for their service) would benefit by coming into the regulatory structure but those who are already marginalized (on the streets) would find themselves in a black market outside legislation and regulation.
the idea was to support a cooperatively run safe work space for those workers in order to support their safety and connect them to resources. this way they would be in control of their work space and have a part in defining what that means...?
http://www.wccsip.ca/doc/leadingTheWay.pdf
our plan is 2 tiered, localized cooperative development so each group can define for themselves what they need most and then industry stabilization on a national scale in order to improve working conditions over all, stop the targeting of businesses based on their involvment in the sex industry, creating more jobs and preventing more workers from being forced into the dangerous street level trade. workers on the street need to have their safety restored and to be connected to resources. we had oped to do that with the coop brothel project.
speculation of what "might" happen is not an excuse for doing nothing. we have laid out clear plans that seem to adress all of these issues. what do you rpopose as an alternative.....? criminalizing johns will not reduce numbers of workers on the street....closing businesses under the criminalize business owners model will mean more workers without jobs and forced onto the street....
susan, what's to stop a whole other underground from forming, which is something that various people and reports have alluded to? It sounds to me as though, in jurisdictions where some models of decrim/legalization have been implemented, including but not limited to, sweden, this problem happens. Whether it's trafficking, involvement of minors, or avoidance of the regulatory structure, this happens anyway. It suggests that those who are already relatively safer (indoors and who charge more for their service) would benefit by coming into the regulatory structure but those who are already marginalized (on the streets) would find themselves in a black market outside legislation and regulation.
That would be because the big flaw is that they pretend it is legal (decriminalizing the sex workers -- but illegalizing the client), but without the clients being legal as well, of course it is going to go underground. That anyone would doubt that it would stop altogether is the biggest joke, and that anyone could use Sweden as any sort of model for success is ludicrous.
New Zealand has not had any difficulties keeping street workers safer through legislation and regulation. But I see no point in providing the info and links over and over if no one is going to review them, imo, but simply continue as though no one has given this any thought, or that there isn't some true models for success that has certainly better results than the ridiculous Swedish fiasco.
fortunate, I actually read that report and I obviously don't interpret it in the same way that you do. There is reference to the sale of sex services outside of the legalized system, there is also reference to non-compliance with safe sex practices, there are references to women not being told of their legal rights, there is mention of concern for foreign women who don't understand the laws. There are many other things that gives me cause for concern in the report that you have posted.
On top of that, one red flag for me as someone who is concerned with the rights of workers is the way that some of the operators structured their worksites. Rather than having employees and paying the relevant benefits that go with hiring someone, they bring in individual contractors who basically are self-employed in that space. This arrangement apparently hasn't been tested through the appropriate agency in NZ and the report writers wondered if it would hold up. This practice already happens in Canada within the hairdressing industry (to name one similar example) -- Revenue Canada has, in many cases, determined that this is a dodge by the owner of the salon who is "renting" out the chair.
loretta, no system is going to be perfect and instant, the idea is to move towards weeding out bad busiess practices and to work towards making sure all workers have access to resources and the tools to make safe decisions.
it is already like that in canada as well with agency owners calling escorts, independent contractors.
trade secrets will be translated into french, english, farsi, cantoese, korean, portuguese, and spanish....language appropriate material is paramount as you point out.
i agree there is alot of work to do but we will do it. to say these problems exist and do nothing because it "might" not work or "could" have problems is not an excuse. we must work through all of these aspects to ensure safety and stability for sex workers in canada.
fortunate, I actually read that report and I obviously don't interpret it in the same way that you do. There is reference to the sale of sex services outside of the legalized system, there is also reference to non-compliance with safe sex practices, there are references to women not being told of their legal rights, there is mention of concern for foreign women who don't understand the laws. There are many other things that gives me cause for concern in the report that you have posted.
On top of that, one red flag for me as someone who is concerned with the rights of workers is the way that some of the operators structured their worksites. Rather than having employees and paying the relevant benefits that go with hiring someone, they bring in individual contractors who basically are self-employed in that space. This arrangement apparently hasn't been tested through the appropriate agency in NZ and the report writers wondered if it would hold up. This practice already happens in Canada within the hairdressing industry (to name one similar example) -- Revenue Canada has, in many cases, determined that this is a dodge by the owner of the salon who is "renting" out the chair.
That is because, in this industry, it works best when the sex worker herself sets her own rules, restrictions and booking procedures. Your suggestion puts far too much power into the hands of an "employer", who would then set schedule, restrictions, and rates, thus potentially forcing a worker to either do some things that she would not choose to do or have her hours cut back until she does comply. What is in place is a direct result of actually listening to what sex workers want and what works, rather than imposing "employer - employee" relationships on those who choose to work independently. It still leaves room for those who prefer to not deal with the day to day business of the work, choosing instead to have someone set the hours and book their appts. These "employers" are licensed and screened through criminal background checks etc.
There will always be those who do not wish to comply with licensing and regulations -- especially those who wish to work illegally either underage or because they are not a citizen. This happens all the time in Vancouver, where asian sex workers come in on "tourist" or "student" visas, but are actually here to work. I highly doubt that you can eliminate these, but regulation and licensing sure make it a lot more difficult to do it. One of the issues is that some operate illegal brothels simply because they don't want to pay for licenses -- or because instead of just 2 independents in one place, 4 are there instead. It is a big leap to assume that there is something evil or sinister in some of these issues or to come to a conclusion that the whole thing doesn't work because some people choose not to play within the rules.
I can buy fruit and seafood on the side of the road. I highly doubt the people who do this are following any "rules" and regulations, yet they are still there.
Essentially, you can't take a bunch of self-employed business owners and suddenly decide they all have to become employees of someone else in order to maintan order. Sex workers are like hair stylists or RMTs. They can own-operate their own biz, or they can contract out at an established location, or they can become an "employee". We don't predetermine what these other two groups will decide works best for themselves, but there is an assumption that we can or should do that with sex work. Dancers, btw, also have the same setup here: they can be an employee plus work for tips, or they can pay a fee for the space to perform. Someone who described the scenario to me said she was far happier with the fee setup so she could make her own decisions.
I find this argument to be a contradiction to the general position on this board that unfettered market forces do not support workers yet, somehow it all works just fine when we talk about those getting paid for sex.
who said unfettered.....over and over we have stated that our industry needs standards. what part of this is so difficult for you to grasp.
It's not about not grasping it, susan. It's about not believing it. You personally may have great intentions with your coop idea, etc, however, I would say that you are not the norm, in terms of business leaders in the sex industry.
It's not about not grasping it, susan. It's about not believing it. You personally may have great intentions with your coop idea, etc, however, I would say that you are not the norm, in terms of business leaders in the sex industry.
And how did you come to this conclusion? How many owner operators and other business setups have you contacted, researched or interviewed to come to this POV? I do not consider biased reports on what others claim goes on as proof, btw, since I have seen the stats bandied about and know for a fact that these numbers are completely wrong. When you want access to the independent sex worker communities (and there are dozens), just let us know. Until then, I will assume that anyone who continues to post fiction as facts is deliberately trying to mislead or simply misinterpret because they cannot wrap their minds around reality vs fiction.
Well, let's just take the report from NZ for starters. Besides, I think most of us would agree that independent workers of all kinds are at risk for various reasons -- why would sex workers be any different?
ETA: Why the need for nastiness?
what nastiness....?
fine, all workers are at risk...your point is? do we not deserve safety and stability at work?
I understand that not finding what people assumed they would, based on the studies 5 years later or whatever it was from the Swedish authorities and the New Zealand authorities can be pretty upsetting. There is a temptation to try to find something or read something into, for example, the NZ one to "explain" it all away. I simply did not try to reinterpret either after the fact study, but read what was actually there. When one group says that their lives are worse off after the changes (Swedish sex workers) and they face more dangers, worse conditions, forced to leave their homes to work, riskier clients and encounters vs the other group that says they have regulations in place, fines for sex workers who do not use condoms or get licensed, they have seen no increase in the # of workers, they have seen no evidence of coercian, they have not seen any increase (and possibly a decrease) in foreign workers working illegally, they restict criminal access to the sex work industry by requiring criminal checks, they back up sex workers by making it illegal to coerce or force them, they license and screen workers to reduce underage workers. There is another recent study at teenagers in Sweden who have or would consider exchange of sex for $$ with no problem. Is this the way a country "eliminates" prostitution?
I look at all the posts and all the debates, and all the info given and revealed, and still as recent as yesterday I see someone still posting the incorrect statement implying that prostitution in Canada is illegal. Every time someone asks or states Should prostitution be legalized I just want to shake my head in wonder. It is already legal. If asking the question, perhaps it would be more accurate to say, Should prostitution be illegalized. It would be more accurate.
FWIW, I have spoken with, on many occasions, a sex worker from New Zealand who worked for a couple of years in Vancouver, and is now back in NZ.
The link to the NZ laws, which clearly include regulations, etc.
http://www.nzpc.org.nz/page.php?page_name=Law
The Prostitution Reform Act was passed on 25 June 2003. The New Zealand Prostitutes Collective pushed to have these new laws, and designed the new laws over time with input from very many sex workers. The original Bill was changed as it went through a three year Parliamentary debate. As a result, we didn’t get all that we wanted. The Act is designed to:
(a) safeguard the human rights of sex workers and protect them from exploitation;
(b) promote the welfare and occupational health and safety of sex workers:
(c) be conducive to public health:
(d) prohibit the use in prostitution of persons under 18 years of age; and
(e) implements certain other related reforms.
The old laws meant that you could be fined or imprisoned if you:
Here's the thing. With decrim, there is room for introducing just this sort of regulations as well as a collective similar to the NZPC. If you wish, you can make licensing dependent on being part of the collective, and answerable not only to certain laws outlined here, but also in terms of collective agreements and so on. As an independent owner operator, with some history in unions I am not a union fan. But some are, and to some it makes them more comfortable. so be it.
Side note. The OSH guidelines are pretty comprehensive:
A sex worker is “at work” for the purposes of OSH when they are providing sexual services. There are Occupational Safety and Health guidelines have been developed by OSH in consultation with NZPC, sex workers and brothel operators. These guidelines are available from the OSH website.
Sex Industry - A Guide to Occupational Health and Safety in the New Zealand
WARNING THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS SEXUALLY EXPLICIT MATERIAL
During the passage of the Prostitution Reform Bill a majority of the Justice and Electoral Select Committee members recommended that health and safety guidelines should be developed for the sex industry. The Department agreed to this course of action and led the process. The Department consulted with stakeholders, the New Zealand Prostitutes Collective (NZPC), self-employed sex workers, and owner/operators of commercial sex industry establishments. Relevant government agencies such as the Ministry of Health (MoH), Local Government New Zealand, the New Zealand Police, and the ACC were also consulted.
The Guide sets out the relevant health and safety duties that are necessary for owners, operators, employees, and other parties in the sex industry. It aims to provide practical means of achieving those duties by dealing with sex worker health, workplace amenities, and psychosocial factors arising out of the industry. The emphasis is on covering a broad range of relevant topics applicable to all sex workers to assist them to implement best practice in their own workplaces. The Guide is supplemented by fact sheets giving specific advice on topics of importance to the document's users.
Part One: Application of this Guide
Glossary of Terms
Part Two: Sex Worker Health
Part Three: Workplace Amenities
Part Four: Psychosocial Factors
Appendices
Fact Sheets
This is the PRA update report, entitled New Zealand's Prostitution Reform Act 2003 - What did it change and what has happened since?
http://myweb.dal.ca/mgoodyea/Documents/New%20Zealand/PRA%20update.pdf
The document looks at the previous law, the content of the law reform and what has happened since. Collated by Tim Barnett, MP.