The Criminalization Of Prostitution And Sex Work - 1103 Words

In a cozy, first world country, the realm of crime, abuse, and drug use, seems like it is worlds away, when in reality, these horrific acts occur in our own backyard. But to a prostitute, it’s their entire world, being forced to work in the grit and grime of the streets, and to make a dangerous living in the underground. The criminalization of prostitution and sex work is flawed at its very core- men and women shouldn’t have to lower their standards of living in order to exercise their rights to both their body and work. Unfortunately, there’s a disconnect between these sex workers and those outside their world, and people often mistakenly tie prostitution to feeding horrific crimes, such as human trafficking rings, rape, and murder.†¦show more content†¦But of course, Amnesty International, a well known human rights non-profit organization, says otherwise with a recent development: a request for the decriminalization and legalization of prostitution, the vote passing mid August of last year (Global Movement Votes to Adopt Policy to Protect Human Rights of Sex Workers). Amnesty International’s vote is all-inclusive, aiming to do all they can to better the lives of sex workers. The organization actively worked with current and former sex workers in the formation of their policy regarding sex work, and hope to have their model accepted globally. Other abolitionists of prostitution seem to think that â€Å"sex work fuels the demand for commercial sex, which is the indisputable driving force behind the sex-trafficking industry† (McCain) despite evidence that points the opposite of such a relationship, and goes against basic economic principles - criminalizing prostitution will only result in it being driven underground, and raising the stakes of competitive trafficking rings (Ahmed). With regulation, easy access, and availability, there would be less of a reason for johns, or clients, to get an escort through the underground, and would result in the sex trafficking industry having a surplus of victims as demand decreases. And while