NT’s parliament has let women and the public down.
Women should never be seen as products to be bought and sold.
The passing yesterday in the NT parliament of outdated and misogynist laws on prostitution is an utter travesty of justice
for the most vulnerable in the Territory. The government members didn’t get a conscience vote on the issue and
contrary voices were shut down.
Contrary to media reports, this move was opposed by many women who have experienced the trauma of the sex trade
first-hand. It is a sexist and racist industry, with the most at risk of being legally exploited being Aboriginal women,
women in poverty, those who are homeless and those who are addicted to alcohol and drugs. Women trafficked across
Australia and from Asia will also have no protection. It’s time the truth was told – decriminalisation of the sex trade
benefits pimps and brothel owners, not the women in prostitution themselves. It is rare to find a case in which the path
to prostitution does not involve, at the very least, an abuse of power or an abuse of vulnerability.
The sex trade lobby cleverly markets prostitution as a woman’s “choice,” but worldwide, poor and indigenous women are disproportionately represented in prostitution, representing nothing but sexism and racism. If prostitution is about choice, why is it that it is the ones with the fewest choices that are found in prostitution.
Now in the NT:
a) ‘Johns’ will be able to sue prostitutes for poor performance
b) brothels could be built in every suburb under new sex laws.
c) brothels will be allowed in the community under the guise of home occupation. Under this definition permission
is not needed for a two person brothel to start up where home occupation is permitted – that is in nearly every
zone in the NT!
Prostitution is sexist and racist, exploiting Aboriginal women, women in poverty, the homeless and those addicted to
alcohol and drugs
There is a growing number of nations, strongly committed to gender equality, who are advocating for the Nordic model
of prostitution legislation. It’s also known as the Human Rights model and is part of broader legislation known as the
Women’s Peace and Sanctuary Laws. In 1999, Sweden implemented these egalitarian laws followed by Norway in 2008,
Iceland in 2009, Canada in 2014, Northern Ireland in 2015, France in 2016, Ireland in 2017 and Israel in 2018.
The question needs to be asked why the NT government did not consider the most progressive prostitution laws
adopted by these nations.
This, and other questions surrounding town planning which will now allow two person brothels to operate anywhere
without neighbours knowing, or having a say, will be raised in the lead up to the NT election in August 2020. Voters
should be ready to make their voices heard about this dangerous social experiment at that time.
