The proposed bill falls short of what we want in the new Canadian legislation. Yes, the pimps and buyers of sex are criminalized, but so are the sellers – mostly women. Yes, there is concern for women exploited in prostitution, with support for programs, and good that they recognize that, but their emphasis is on children. In fact, except for the support programs for prostituted women to leave prostitution, this is very much like the US laws where everyone is criminalized, but only women are arrested. The idea of the Nordic Model is:
- provide exit help to women (others) in prostitution
- provide counselling, health care and help to women (others) in prostitution irrespective of exit wish
- police training to implement the law according to its intentions
- campaigning publicly and in schools to explain the law and to further equal and free relationships
- criminzalizing the buyers of sex/sexual access to women and others
See also the press release by We Want More for Women at Vancouver Rape Relief and Meghan Murphy’s very informative article on Feminist Current.
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I am really quite concerned by this. We want much more for women and while I am cautiously optimistic, we need to really confront this now. No waiting.