Decriminalization of Prostitution - Essay Example

? Facilitator: Due Prostitution can be termed as a practice in sexual relations mainly done in promiscuity. Sex is mainly for money or other valuable things such as jewelry. The legality of prostitution varies in each country. Some are unregulated while some are legalized, for example in Netherlands. It is regarded as the world’s oldest professional, and it has global annual revenue of more than $100 billion. Prostitution is practiced in different ways. One and the oldest way are to sell it on the street, clubs, or pubs. This is mainly done by cheap prostitutes who will sell sex for loose change. Second way, is through brothels. A brothel is a dedicated room or building where prostitution takes place but in a civilized way. It is just the way you may go to a market and shop for groceries. The third one is escort prostitution, whereby a client can call a prostitute to his room or house. Escorts are also learned people and dress like a normal lady, and they can easily fit in a classy social event like for business or delegates events. There are three major terms that are usually discussed in this debate. Abolition: This is where a government comes up with a decision to abolish any form of prostitution. This includes the removal of any structure where prostitution is practiced. Legalization: this is when a government allows prostitutes to conduct their services like a normal business. However, the prostitutes have to be registered by the police and must follow the health policy for prostitution. ([Reynolds, H, (1985) the economics of prostitution, spring field, IL: C.C. Thomas.) Decriminalization: this is whereby the rules against prostitution are removed. Laws against pimping are also removed. With the removal of these laws, sex workers will now have the freedom of establishing their own associations and self help groups. I personally do not believe in the decriminalization of prostitution for a number of reasons which include the following. Prostitution that is already legalized creates a setting whereby crimes against women and children are in turn commercialized. The International Labor Organization report admits that most women ‘choose’ prostitution for economic reasons. Hence it is not of free will but they are forced into it by poverty other vices. Prostitution as an institution, also, is morally wrong and cannot be deemed right despite the endless reasons and excuses given by individuals who indulge in the sex business. Prostitution also contributes to human trafficking to a large extent. This trade is fuelled to a large extent by the availability of women and children who have gone through the process of human trafficking. Another reason as to why prostitution should not be decriminalized is because of the amount of violence the women in the trade are exposed to .Legalizing it does not protect the women from such dangers. Studies show that women in the sex industry face high rates of violence. Research also shows that 82% of prostitutes had been physically assaulted since entering the prostitution, 80% had been physically threatened and some of those with a weapon. Some of those threats that were physical ended up with serous body wound such as gunshot wounds and knife wounds. Hence from the above statistics one can clearly see that prostitution in itself is a form of male violence against women and children, and decriminalizing it will only expose more of these prostitutes. Prostitution also contributes to the global spread of HIV and AIDS, this is because once a single prostitute is infected by the virus between the time she is infected and the time she realizes her status, the number of clients she may have infected is likely to be very high, not considering the number of additional persons she will infect if she decides to continue despite her knowledge of her status. The fight against rape cannot be won if prostitution is condoned this is because prostitution in itself is bought rape. Culture in which women can be bought for use is one in which rape flourishes. Also though some people may argue that it is a form of business, it can never amount to a legitimate business despite its legalization reason being it will always be associated with immoral and indecency.(Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network,” Decriminalization of Prostitution to Reduce Vulnerability to HIV”.) Prostitution can never be a career option if anything the industry only exploits to its advantage the fact that most women and children who are in prostitution come from the most oppressed and vulnerable groups in society. Hence decriminalizing it would only encourage such injustices. Lastly the reason as to why I disagree with the decriminalization of prostitution in Canada is that it has long-term effects on the prostitutes. Some of these side effects include; trauma, stress, depression, anxiety, self-medication through alcohol and substance abuse, eating disorders, low self-esteem hence suicidal thoughts, and physical and psychological damage. Decriminalization of prostitution increases street prostitution and clandestine, one main objective that was behind the legalization of prostitution was to move the prostitutes indoors into brothels and entertainment joints where the prostitutes could be exposed to less dangerous conditions. However, many women are in street prostitution because they want to avoid being controlled and exploited by their employers who take advantage of their desperate situation. Other prostitutes don’t like the idea of having compulsory routine medical checks, as required by the governments of the countries where this trade has been legalized. Thus, legalization may actually drive some of these prostitutes into the more dangerous street prostitution. Decriminalization of this prostitution industry has played a huge role in the promotion of child prostitution. One of the arguments for legalizing prostitution in some countries was that it would Aid in the demolishing of child prostitution. Yet child prostitution in these same countries has increased dramatically in the past years. A recent study carried out by a child’s rights organization showed that the number of children in prostitution has increased by more than 300% between1996–2001, going from 4,000 children in 1996 to 15,000 in 2001. Child Right estimates that at least 5,000 of these children in some of the countries are originally trafficked from other countries Prostitution also brings about unwanted pregnancies hence elevating the level of poverty and bringing about the continuation of the cycle. This is because it has been proven through research that many of the children that venture into this trade are run a ways and homeless children and also women who have become pregnant and have no money to support their children. One foreseeable objection to my position is that prostituting should neither be abolished nor legalized but instead should be decriminalized. Prostitution should not be legalized. Legalization means that the state puts in place certain rules and laws under which women can be prostituted. In actual sense this only means that, under certain conditions it is acceptable to exploit and abuse women. A very important aspect that is usually overlooked by the government officials is that, prostitution is a demand market created by men, who contribute in this trade by soliciting for the women’s sexual services in exchange for their own pleasure. Legal reforms should therefore create remedies that assist these prostitutes to be safe from such selfish clients and in turn punish the perpetrators. (Barry, Kathleen. The Prostitution of Sexuality: The Global Exploitation of Women.) Majority of the laws already in existence concerning prostitution were formulated barely on the assumption that prostitution is immoral, with the prostitutes being the most immoral party. Therefore, laws that were put in place only criminalize the prostitute but not the client. After listening to women's experiences of prostitution and analyzing their findings women's rights groups have defined prostitution to be sexual exploitation of the prostitutes and also a form of gender violence. Hence all legal reforms should strive to encompass this kind of an understanding of the trade. Therefore, states should cease from punishing women for being prostituted. Having in mind the disturbing facts and statistics of the harm women who are trafficked and prostituted under go, it is only natural that women are the victims in this business. Decriminalization also means that women will not fear to be arrested in case they seek police assistance in the event of violence or sexual abuse. However this is only a solution to one issue which prostitutes face and that is violence in the course of their work. What happens to the other negative effects that come with this trade? In my view decriminalization of prostitution will only make right the fact that women should remain undignified and remain as sexual objects of use by men. (Silbert M.H. (1980) Sexual assault of Prostitutes) Conclusion Viewing of prostitution as another ordinary career may seen as a step in the right way, but that does not appear so on another point of view reason being all its negative aspects are deeply engraved in it regardless of what reasons any individual may have to engage in it. So why should it be legalized in Canada? In my view it would only tarnish the good image of the country and stain the moral beliefs and cultures of the leaders and the people of that great nation. Moreover, decriminalization ignores the fact that violence is intrinsic to prostitution, and does not prioritize health concerns of the public at large. The theoretical basis for decriminalization is flawed, reason being there exist be they social views or even the natural views about it. The stigma surrounding the act is simply undisputable and only stubborn individuals fail to see this fact. Decriminalization will only bestow upon men the right to rent women’s sexual body parts at their own pleasure a thing that is seen to be demeaning to the women and disrespectful. It also brings about the idea of social and economic inequality between the two. Last but not least, every individual should carry him/her with an ounce of dignity. The reason why I say this is because we are only too sure to point the finger at the prostitutes but seldom do we see our own faults in this whole controversial debate. Every one of has chipped in one way or the other in breeding this sex industry be it directly or indirectly. As even as I advocate for the decriminalization of prostitution, I also as an individual should watch how I contribute to this vice. The reason I say this is because if indeed prostitution is one of the oldest profession it only means that we members of the society have been contributing to its continued existence. So it is not only left to the government in Canada to decriminalize it but also it trickles down to eliminate it completely from our society Work cited Reynolds, H, (1985) the economics of Prostitution, Springfield, I, L: C.C. Thomas. Read More