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Prostitution: Rights of Women or right to women?

Sisyphe | 18.04.2003 02:21

Since the seventies, there has been a trend towards recognition of the concept of " sex workers " in Quebec, Europe and the United States. Viewing prostitutes as "sex workers" suggests that they are merely labourers providing a "social" service and should be given, therefore, the same rights as other exploited workers who are crushed by the forces of globalisation, and turned into marketable objects.

Stella, a Montreal group created in 1995 that advocates for the rights of prostitutes, has demanded that prostitution be completely decriminalised and that there be recognition of " sex workers. " This position is not accepted unanimously. In fact, for most feminists, prostitution is seen as a consequence of the sexual exploitation of women and constitutes a violation of human rights. From this perspective, it is necessary to abolish prostitution and criminalise customers (johns) and pimps.

In this necessarily short article, I will focus only on prostitution by adult women, touching only incidentally on men's and children's prostitution and on transnational traffic in women.

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Sisyphe
- e-mail: sisyphesite@yahoo.ca
- Homepage: http://sisyphe.levillage.org

Comments

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err no

18.04.2003 09:56

Women can always get a shag, even a minger.

So thats why some blokes need prostitutes.

There should be a RIGHT TO WOMEN.

idiot feminists

Stop yer misogynist crap

18.04.2003 10:17

If women (and in fact men and children too) have to sell their bodies to survive, it's only a reflection of how messed up capitalism is. Tho I would consider myself a feminist, I don't think the answer is to make prostitution (by consenting adults) illegal. We need to make much wider changes in our society and in the meantime provide support to people in the sex industry.

*Having said that* the first person who responded to this post is obviously an ignorant fuck, who's just bitter because he can't get a shag and therefore wants to take it out on women and treat them as objects instead of people.

(Nice to see intellectual and courteous discussion on Indymedia isn't it?)

another bloody woman

choice

18.04.2003 16:58

Prostitution is a lifestyle choice, as is becoming a drug dealer. You fucking bleeding heart commies make me wanna puke. You should be purged.

antisocialist