Decriminalisation increases sex workers’ safety and well-being. New Zealand decriminalised sex work in 2003 with verifiable success. Over 90% of sex workers said they had additional employment, legal, health and safety rights. One important measure of this is that prior to decriminalisation 47% of brothel workers had refused to see a client in the previous 12 months, after decriminalisation 68% of brothel workers had done this. 70% said they were more likely to report incidents of violence to the police.
For more information see our briefing Why Decriminalisation? and report Decriminalisation of Prostitution: the Evidence.
Plans for the biggest overhaul of laws on prostitution for half a century have been put forward by the government. The proposals include licensing brothels and compulsory health checks for prostitutes. Will they really help? We put Cari Mitchell of the English Collective of Prostitutes in the hotseat. How many prostitutes are there in Britain […]
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Prostitutes on Tuesday launched a petition drive urging city officials to decriminalize the sex industry, a move called for in a study that said it could save more than $7 million a year in law enforcement costs.Nedra Ruiz, a defense attorney who spoke at a morning news conference announcing the drive, […]
International Committee for Prostitutes’ Rights (ICPR), Amsterdam 1985, Published in Pheterson, G (ed.), A Vindication of the Rights of Whores. Seattle: Seal Press, 1989. (p.40)LawsDecriminalize all aspects of adult prostitution resulting from individual decision.Decriminalize prostitution and regulate third parties according to standard business codes. It must be noted that existing standard business codes allow abuse […]
A growing movement to decriminalize prostitution in Britain won its first significant victory today when the House of Commons voted to allow introduction of a bill that would make the law much less harsh on prostitutes.As a group of women representing a lobby for working prostitutes watched, applauded and shrieked their approval form the visitors’ […]