As 2019 comes to a close, a time for introspection and reflection regarding the year’s politics is needed. For the prostituted individual, the results have been mixed, with the Northern Territory decriminalising the sex trade, while other states such as South Australia, voting down prospects to decriminalise the trade for the fourteenth time in a decade.
Meanwhile Fiona Patten remains the figurehead of a prostitution review to be implemented in Victoria, which will see a vast body of research conducted into the nature of the industry, however all of this will be overseen and co-ordinated by a sex work advocate herself. The review will commence in early 2020, be ongoing for six months and recommendations will be given to the government in order to consider the decriminalisation of the sex trade before the end of 2020.
As varying states continue to defend or criminalise this trafficking industry, the turmoil within brothels will escalate, and the search for adequate and protective policies remains on the agenda. Women’s rights are still being pushed in a society heading toward a liberal feminist culture, with MPs negligently making comments regarding sex work that supposedly defend women and uphold equality, when in actuality, they are making the problem worse by turning a blind eye to the reality of trafficking and painting it as something it really is not. The debate in South Australia highlighted the fact that prostitution and the nature of the industry is still a topic that is not understood adequately by politicians – especially ‘progressive’ MPs. For example, Tammy Franks stated:
“If they’re adults and they’re consenting, why is it the business of Parliament to outlaw that?”
“We should be focusing on real crime.”
The real crime happens to be the very industry Franks is advocating for, with many prostituted individuals facing coercion on a daily basis not only due to the prospect of monetary benefit in exchange for a service they otherwise would not be willing to give, and because, according to research, they are likely addicted to illicit substances which minimise their ability to make rational decisions regarding their bodies.
Furthermore, migrant women continue to make up the vast majority of sex workers within WA. In the U.K., a rise in reported murders of migrant sex workers from 0% in 2006– 2013 to 82% of the women killed in 2013–2015 indicate that migrant women sex workers are being targeted. Also in Germany and Nevada, the close ties between organised crime and prostitution is still an ongoing issue, and women are being murdered by pimps at an alarming rate. Other research, from the World Development Journal reports that “countries with legalised prostitution have a statistically significantly larger reported incidence of human trafficking inflows.”
To suggest prostitution is thus a viable industry which should be facilitated by government despite the worrying facts such as that above, is reckless and devoid of well-informed research. In order to stop sheltered MPs from continually placing prostituted individuals in vulnerable positions, citizens must make a collective, grassroots effort that starts with them informing governments across states about the harrowing truth regarding the sex trade. It will not only take a push in academia, to uncover and foster decent and unbiased research around the trade, but also a push in the form of people power (heavy lobbying), for Nordic-style prostitution reform.
As 2019 draws to a close, remember those whose voices remain shrouded in darkness – those who need Adopt Nordic supporters to fight the good fight and end localised trafficking in the form of ‘sex work’ once and for all. Someone must put right the backwards, uninformed policies of MPs who lack the foresight needed to make 2020 the best possible year for the prostituted individual.
And that person might be you.
Write a letter to your MP today, or make a post about this topic on social media. Read and send people these articles linked below, so they can understand the truth about the nature of sex trafficking.
