UNITED NATIONS, Oct 3 (IPS) – Reem Alsalem, the UN particular rapporteur on violence towards ladies and women, has known as prostitution a “system of violence” that does no good for society, particularly those that ladies and women who’re compelled into this method.
Alsalem spoke on the Roosevelt Public Coverage Constructing in New York on Wednesday, October 2, to debate her particular report, by which she identifies prostitution as a type of violence towards ladies and women. The report was first made public in June 2024 and submitted to the Human Rights Council in Geneva. Greater than 60 member states have endorsed the report and its findings, together with however not restricted to Ghana, South Africa, Egypt, Norway, Sweden, Colombia, France, Bangladesh, India and Nigeria.
Alsalem obtained over 300 studies from a number of stakeholders, together with civil society, academia, consultants, policymakers and, importantly, ladies with lived expertise from all over the world.
The world over, the exploitation of girls and women by prostitution and intercourse trafficking is a widespread drawback that threatens their security and rights. Alsalem factors out that many prostitution techniques are based mostly on patriarchal norms that place the abuse of energy within the arms of the male majority, who’re primarily the “consumers” or profiteers within the intercourse commerce. Deeper financial inequalities and the complexity of emergency humanitarian conditions solely additional displace ladies and women, failing to guard and empower them.
Alsalem mentioned efforts to normalize prostitution or acknowledge it as a type of labor, corresponding to calling it “intercourse work,” causes better hurt to ladies who expertise it and doesn’t take into consideration could end in critical violations of human rights.
Alsalem mentioned pornography must also be categorized as a type of prostitution and violence towards ladies basically. She famous that its proliferation solely normalizes violence and dangerous attitudes towards ladies and women. Alsalem informed IPS that on-line platforms internet hosting pornographic materials solely additional incentivize and facilitate these and different types of coercive and non-consensual intercourse.
Alsalem believes that whatever the platform, how it’s branded or how it’s entered into the trade, the prostitution system relies on the commodification of the physique for bodily exercise, and consent is unimaginable on this context.
“Attempting to faux that prostitution is one way or the other consented, that girls need to do it, really is mindless in a context like prostitution as a result of the idea of consent will not be really related when there’s a system of exploitation and violence, ” she mentioned. “When consent is weaponized, we all know full nicely that no matter idea of consent ladies could have – or not less than a few of it – is extorted by bodily coercion, manipulation and violence.”
Relating to the authorized framework associated to prostitution, it additionally reveals the contradiction between home authorized provisions and sensible supervision in varied international locations. The report notes that in some instances, nearly nothing is completed to inhibit “consumers” or “organizers” from taking part within the prostitution system.
Criminalizing prostitution is extra more likely to punish prostitutes by persecution and imprisonment, social ostracism, and even additional abuse by regulation enforcement. In reality, it’s uncommon that the “purchaser” is punished or a 3rd occasion is held accountable below this method. Below the regulatory method, legalized prostitution secures state management by business institutions and federal or state legal guidelines, together with tax legal guidelines, from which they revenue, typically on the expense of intercourse employees. Decriminalizing prostitution permits events to apply their actions with out concern of persecution; nevertheless, it additionally leads to elevated demand and doesn’t stop exploitative events from making the most of susceptible ladies and women and inducing them into the intercourse commerce.
The report helps abolition of the dying penalty, often known as the “equality mannequin” or the “Nordic mannequin”. Below this mannequin, third events (“organizers”) and purchasers are criminalized for his or her involvement within the buy and promotion of intercourse, whereas intercourse employees don’t face legal persecution. As a substitute, we’re investing extra in exit pathways for intercourse employees, guaranteeing various employment, financial stability, housing and help to handle trauma and even substance abuse points when wanted. Alsalem famous within the report that the Nordic mannequin maintains worldwide requirements for sexual exploitation and human trafficking by criminalizing third events and recognizing that almost all of prostitutes are ladies and women.
Nonetheless, this method could have its limitations, with a report from the London Faculty of Economics (LSE) mentioning that intercourse trafficking laws nonetheless differs in numerous international locations that implement this mannequin, and the security of intercourse employees stays unsure they usually nonetheless face Dangerous policing. For migrant intercourse employees, their standing excludes them from social safety and prostitution will be grounds for deportation below immigration regulation.
Issues with the present authorized mannequin for prostitution replicate the institutional constructions that preserve intercourse employees’ establishment as exploitative and unprotected. On the similar time, in addition they replicate a wider cultural problem about how prostitution, and sexuality extra broadly, is mentioned and considered.
“Past the human rights violations that should be addressed legally, the report makes it very clear that we’re coping with a cultural problem,” mentioned Taina Bien-Aimé, government director of the Alliance Towards Trafficking in Girls. She added that different types of violence towards ladies, corresponding to intimate accomplice violence, sexual violence and harassment, have been now thought-about types of abuse.
“However for some cause, as a result of cash is exchanged by prostitution, it is kind of positioned outdoors the context of male violence and discrimination, notably towards ladies and women.”
In her report, Alsalem makes suggestions to governments on how one can reshape laws and insurance policies round prostitution in a route that’s extra respectful of human rights and centered on the experiences of girls and women who’re compelled to take part . Governments additionally must take steps to handle the foundation causes behind prostitution and the elements that put ladies and women at increased threat of prostitution.
“The significance of this report additionally lies in its suggestions, by which the Particular Rapporteur calls on jurisdictions and member states all over the world to search out legislative and coverage options to this critical violation of human rights,” Bean-Aime mentioned.
When requested to elaborate on the steps that worldwide actors such because the United Nations must take, Alsalem referred to the suggestion that United Nations businesses must also undertake a rights-based method to prostitution. Alsalem commented that she had contacted a number of UN businesses. Specifically, she is in “ongoing dialogue” with the World Well being Group (WHO) and the Worldwide Labor Group (ILO), recommending that these businesses conduct analysis inside their well being and hygiene priorities into the broader impression of prostitution on survivors. .
Non-governmental organizations such because the Frontline Girls’s Basis and native civil society teams play an necessary function in bringing consideration to this problem. Alsalem informed IPS they wanted to make a concerted effort to take heed to survivors of prostitution and interact with all actors working to handle the problem.
“We see that in decision-making locations, together with governments, parliaments, at any time when points are mentioned, legal guidelines are made, or insurance policies are revised, some individuals have privileged entry to those decision-making locations, and these individuals could also be those that advocate full legalization in all facets, and those that Those that advocate for the abolition of the mannequin…are denied the identical alternatives, and that features survivors.
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