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.
On the 20th anniversary of the Prostitution Reform Act, which decriminalised sex work in Aotearoa New Zealand (ANZ), two key members of the ANZ Sex Workers’ Collective (ANZPC) are speaking in London. Dame Catherine Healy, founding member and national coordinator Annah Pickering, Auckland Regional manager Monday 6 November, 12.30-2pm Crossroads Women’s Centre, 25 Wolsey Mews, London, NW5 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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’ […]
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 […]
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 […]