Some time ago, Amnesty International joined some other human right organisations in a campaign to support the decriminalisation of sex work. Open Society Foundations, Human Rights Watch, World Health Organisation, UNAIDS, the Global Alliance Against Trafficking in Women are all organisation that believe it shouldnt be illegal to exchange sex for money. Here are four reasons why everyone should be on the same page with them.
- Decriminalisation can have a positive effect in law enforcement. People whose way of earning a living is considered a crime cannot trust law enforcement and try leading a lawful life. Accepting that an activity is illegal can only encourage other, truly dangerous activities evolve around it.
- Ιt can diminish new HIV and other STD transmissions. A lawful sexual activity has a proven better chance of abiding hygiene rules. A last year study published in the Lancet showed that global decriminalisation can decrease tranmission statistics almost to the half. Police officers up until now use condoms as evidence of prostitutional activity, which is an act that isnt exaclty promoting a protected sex culture.
- It can grately improve working conditions, as an illegal activity cannot be kept in a dignified condition. In addition, it would help protect women from violence, as victims of sexual harassment will have the ability to ask for law protection.
- It is a true freedom of choice matter. If people want to sell their bodies, then why shouldnt they be able to? Not all sex workers are victims of trafficking. Keeping sex work a crime is more likely a matter of morals that are really not up to date, rather than a true criminal behavior.
By Jonah Winter, Truth Inside Of You
