An opinion paper which states that prostitution should be legalized to avoid the abuse and human rights violations that accompany this profession.
Abstract
This paper presents arguments as to why prostitution should be recognized as a legal form of employment in a global sense. These reasons include a prostitute’s right to making autonomous decision, a right to work and finally a right to be legally protected under the law. The writer then discusses why the legalization of prostitution will have positive rather than negative affects on the sex trafficking industry. Includes a conclusion and argument summary.
From the Paper:
“A prostitute, like any other human being has the right to autonomy and self-determination. We deny sex workers these rights however by criminalizing their profession. Prostitution is work. It is a choice that should be legally open to a woman. We as society cannot impose our own beliefs on what we think is the appropriate way for which a woman is to use her body. By doing so, we deny her the basic human right of autonomy. The people who oppose prostitution and its legalization attempt to argue that prostitution is not a choice, it actually denies a woman her autonomy. Kathleen Barry from the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women (CATW) states that ‘it is a fundamental human right to be free of sexual exploitation in all its forms from prostitution, trafficking in women to rape… Sexual exploitation abrogates a person’s human right to dignity, equality, autonomy and physical and mental well-being” . She further argues that women are forced into these situations by social and economic conditions of the world today. I feel these arguments dismiss and practically override a woman’s choice or assessment of her own best interests. It degrades a woman’s choice as self-delusional or based on a false consciousness . Wealthy westerners, such as Kathleen Barry, make these statements, having probably never been faced by a real challenge or difficult choice in their life. They are not faced with the harsh reality of the world, in which many women from poorer countries are. They are not restricted daily by social, political and economic circumstances . Women who do live in third world countries more often than not have few choices.”