Amnesty votes on whether to back decriminalising sex trade

AFP, DUBLIN: Amnesty International was going through a fraught vote Tuesday on whether the human rights organisation should back decriminalising prostitution, following a heated debate on the divisive issue. Some 400 delegates from 70 countries have gathered in Dublin and will vote on the draft policy. If it passes, it will help form Amnesty's policy on the global sex trade.
"We want to see a legal framework in place whereby all elements of sex work are decriminalised," Thomas Schultz-Jagow, Amnesty's senior director of campaigns and communications,
told AFP.
He said there was "evidence that criminalisation of consensual adult sex work can lead to increased human rights violations against sex workers."
But controversially, the document proposes decriminalising third parties involved in prostitution, such as brothel operators, alongside sex workers.
In response, the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women (CATW) penned an open letter saying Amnesty's name would be "severely tarnished" if it approved the policy, which it said sides with "exploiters rather than the exploited". "There's no logic behind the premise that in order to protect those who are exploited you have to decriminalise the exploiter. It makes no sense," CATW executive director Taina Bien Aime
told AFP.
"It is really important for Amnesty to understand the world is watching and they would really lose a tremendous amount of credibility as a human rights organisation if this is supported."
The group cites a 2012 study which found a rise in reported human trafficking to countries where prostitution was legalised, though accompanied by improvement in working conditions for sex workers.
The letter was signed by more than 600 women's rights groups, sex trade survivors and actors including Oscar winners Meryl Streep and ate
Winslet.
Opponents of the draft policy stress it fails to recognise the many reasons -- including poverty, violence and coercion -- that draw people into prostitution.

 

Amnesty votes on whether to back decriminalising sex trade

AFP, DUBLIN: Amnesty International was going through a fraught vote Tuesday on whether the human rights organisation should back decriminalising prostitution, following a heated debate on the divisive issue. Some 400 delegates from 70 countries have gathered in Dublin and will vote on the draft policy. If it passes, it will help form Amnestys policy on the global sex trade. We want to see a legal framework in place whereby all elements of sex work are decriminalised, Thomas Schultz-Jagow, Amnestys senior director of campaigns and communications, told AFP. He said there was evidence that criminalisation of consensual adult sex work can lead to increased human rights violations against sex workers. But controversially, the document proposes decriminalising third parties involved in prostitution, such as brothel operators, alongside sex workers. In response, the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women (CATW) penned an open letter saying Amnestys name would be severely tarnished if it approved the policy, which it said sides with exploiters rather than the exploited. Theres no logic behind the premise that in order to protect those who are exploited you have to decriminalise the exploiter. It makes no sense, CATW executive director Taina Bien Aime told AFP. It is really important for Amnesty to understand the world is watching and they would really lose a tremendous amount of credibility as a human rights organisation if this is supported. The group cites a 2012 study which found a rise in reported human trafficking to countries where prostitution was legalised, though accompanied by improvement in working conditions for sex workers. The letter was signed by more than 600 womens rights groups, sex trade survivors and actors including Oscar winners Meryl Streep and ate Winslet. Opponents of the draft policy stress it fails to recognise the many reasons -- including poverty, violence and coercion -- that draw people into prostitution.