New Zealand

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. 64.8% found it easier to refuse clients and 70% said they were more likely to report incidents of violence to the police.

For a summary of the Prostitution Reform Act please see here.

19th September 2017

Has the rate of sexual assault really increased in New Zealand since 2003?

By Joel Hellewell This post is a response to the “meme” created by Nordic Model Now, claiming that the rate of sexual assault in New Zealand has increased since 2003, primarily because of the decriminalisation of prostitution in the Prostitution Reform Act 2003. Link to the meme: https://nordicmodelnow.org/2016/08/11/meme-about-new-zealand-since-the-full-decriminalisation-of-the-sex-trade/ The first thing to do to the […]

24th November 2015

Politics.co.uk: Want to know how to make sex work safe? Ask sex workers

Decriminalisation would make sex workers safer By Niki Adams When sex workers from nine different countries get together, there’s always going to be a buzz. But invite them to the houses of parliament and ask them to tell politicians what needs to be done and it’ll turn into a roar. Nearly 200 people poured into a […]

21st May 2015

Independent: New Zealand ‘the best country to work as a prostitute’

Laws protecting prostitutes came into force in 2003KASHMIRA GANDER New Zealand is the best place in the world to be a prostitute thanks to its robust laws, according an organisation which represents the nation’s sex workers.For almost a decade and a half, sex workers in New Zealand have been protected by the Prostitution Reform Act 2003, […]

20th January 2013

The Prisma: Decriminalising prostitution – a solution to the problem

New Zealand took a big step in 2003 by decriminalising prostitution. The English Collective of Prostitutes is fighting for the same status in England. Benjamin Serra The Prisma Poverty and the recent economic crisis forces hundreds of women to work in the sex industry in order to earn money to support their families, to save […]

10th December 2012

Event: Film screening – Decriminalisation in New Zealand

International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers event WHEN: Monday, 17 December 2012, 7pm WHERE: Venue: Crossroads Women’s Centre, 25 Wolsey Mews, Kentish Town, London, NW5 2DX FILM: Decriminalisation of Sex Work in New Zealand New Zealand decriminalised prostitution in 2003. This 30 minute film documents how the law was won and its impact as told by […]

7th November 2012

Event: New Zealand Prostitutes’ Collective – celebrating 25 years

26th October 2012

Scoop: The New Zealand Prostitutes Collective turns 25

The New Zealand Prostitutes Collective (NZPC) turns 25 this year.NZPC is holding an event to launch this at their National Office based in Wellington on Tuesday 6 November.Speakers include Niki Adams from the English Collective of Prostitutes, and Rachel Wotton from Touching Base in New South Wales.As part of the event, the film ‘Scarlet Road’ […]

17th July 2012

DREGS Magazine: Response to Melissa Farley

by Carolina TalaveraHaving read the article “Legal or not, prostitution remains a harmful institution” by Melissa Farley in DREGS magazine, I write to comment and correct. In her piece, Farley makes a number of claims such as that prostitution is uniquely dangerous and damaging, and supports these claims with statistics and other evidence. On closer scrutiny […]

10th April 2012

Sex work laws – international evidence

The Council of Europe recommends that member states: “ . . . refrain from criminalising and penalising prostitutes . . . respect the right of prostitutes who freely choose to work as prostitutes to have a say in any policies at national, regional and local level . . . ensure . . . access to safe […]

24th December 2011

London Daily News,: New Zealand sex worker rights demands made in London

With record numbers of women in London turning to sex work to provide an income the English Collective of Prostitutes (ECP) has launched a new campaign to decriminalise prostitution for “safety’s sake”.At an event at St Pauls “Tent City” a New Zealand MP Tim Barnett who sponsored the 2003 Prostitution Reform Act which decriminalised prostitution […]