The Ministers of Justice and Migration, Morgan Johansson, and Gender Equality, Åsa Lindhagen, demand harder punishments for sex purchase and more resources to the policing of prostitution. In their opinion piece on the 20th of May at Aftonbladet they praise Sweden at the forefront of prostitution policies. The evidence-based research contracts this view. Based on over two years of fieldwork and 210 interviews that I conducted with sex workers, survivors and social workers in Sweden, Norway, and Finland, I can state that:
Decriminalization is the solution. It centers those who are MOST affected by prostitution laws, meaning sex workers and survivors. Decriminalization is a change of perspective from criminal law to a rights-based approach. It starts with the protection of sex workers. Sex workers and anti-trafficking organizations all over the world together with World Health Organization, Amnesty International, UNAIDS, Human Rights Watch, and medical journal the Lancet support decriminalization of sex work as the best way to prevent exploitation in sex work. Ps. Decriminalization is not the same as legalization. Legalization leaves those who do not want to / can't (migrants) register as sex workers still outside of legality and criminalizes them.
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"Governing in the Name of Caring" article recognized with the LSA Article Price Honorable mention5/12/2020 Thrilled to see my article "Governing in the Name of Caring" on the detrimental consequence of the Nordic model for sex workers and survivors recognized with the Law and Society Association Article Prize Honorable Mention. Thank you all who made this possible by participating and sharing your knowledge! I hope this helps the fight against this harmful policy You can download the article for free here. |
AuthorNiina Vuolajarvi Archives
March 2021
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