#SexWorkersRights

Apparently, the concept of sex workers as human beings and sex work as a genuine profession upsets a lot of people. 

Sex worker: Adults who receive money or goods in exchange for consensual sexual services or performances.

Image from Instagram account: @exotic.cancer 

For a long time, discussions surrounding sex work has focused on protecting clients who indulge in this industry. The criminalization of the actual works compromises their health, safety, and livelihoods by driving the industry underground. This permits abuse, harassment, and violence against sex workers under the veil of an illicit market. 

Recent laws are being passed in New York and Ireland that decriminalize the profession, allowing consenting adults to trade sexual services, collaborate and support peers working within the community without facing legal action. Since my recent undergraduate dissertation on the role of gendered perspectives of the military and it’s linked to the global endemic of violence again women, I’ve come across more and more articles discussing marginalized issues, like debates on sex work, that have caught my attention.

Image from Instagram account: @katsandcrows

One of the major issues of sex work is the risk of becoming infected with HIV. The World Health Organisation (WHO) suggests that by decriminalizing sex work, the world could see a 46% reduction in new infection rates. 

As well as health concerns as an integral dimension to these debates, the cultural recognition and toleration are ultimately what inhibits the legal understanding of the profession and its workers. 

The shift from talks about prostitution to sex work highlights an important shift in the societal acceptance of sex workers. The term prostitution is inherently loaded with connotations of criminality and dehumanizing qualities. By recognizing these people as sex works, it signifies a move towards more inclusive discussions within society as well as legal institutions. 

However, if I learned anything from my dissertation research, its that blanket decriminalization of sex work still inevitably benefits brothel owners, pimps and sex trade entrepreneurs more than amending sex workers rights.  

Abuse becomes an occupational hazard. 

Sex tourism capitalizes on women's bodies but do the women see this benefit?

Image: decrimnow.org 

Moreover, the sex trade is innately riddled with issues of human trafficking and human smuggling. The global sex trade is increasingly hard to record and recognize whilst simultaneously becoming more widespread thanks to globalization and technological advancements. This has led to increased demand due to the flourishing pornography industry and increased supply stemming from the availability of communication and transport between countries internationally. 

Although sex work is consensual for many workers, the circumstance that brought them to the industry, coercion, or forced trafficking, make it considerably difficult to identify victims and voluntary actors within the global sex industry. 

I support the feminist movement to improve sex workers rights, however, there is a lot of grey area and difficulties involved in issues of protecting sex workers. There have been some important advances, such as the shift from prostitution to sex work, however, there is still a lot of progress to be made.

Image: capitalpride.org