Have Amenesty really just voted to campaign for the decriminalisation of prostitutio?!

[iAmSiri]

WTAF! I feel like I'm misunderstanding it because I can't believe it's true! Please can anyone explain what's going on?

Yes.

Shit, innit?

Yep.

Yep, they've said that men have a human right to sex and women in poverty, forced into prostitution because of it, have the legal right to be exploited. Both in the West and in developing nations.

Good to know that men's cocks are more important to Amnesty International than women's rights innit?

Baking "Yep, they've said that men have a human right to sex and women in poverty, forced into prostitution because of it, have the legal right to be exploited."

ould you please let me know where you found that?

I've been looking around and saw a bunch of stuff about protecting sex workers but didn't see anything that said "Men have a human right to sex". That sounds like very scary territory!

I am not surprised. This has been in the works for a long while now

It does mean I won't be able to support Amnesty any more.

I'm fucking disgusted! It makes me feel physically ill. This is damaging to every women on the planet not just those who find themselves being prostituted.

Dp and I will also be leaving Amnesty.

Yes, I agree Siri. It says "As a society we see this as an acceptable way to treat women, that is why it is legal"

Are you being serious achieve?

Op - dp and I have also left amnesty over this. Appalled. We have just set up a monthly donation to a project that is made up if survivors of the sex industry instead.

I do think they've made a big mistake going with this policy though I understand it might be debatable how to help women in prostitution most effectively. Personally I think the Nordic model of de-criminalising the sex workers only is the best one.
Furthermore I certainly get the feeling they haven't been able to carry all of their supporters with them on this. Which should probably have made them wonder more if it really is the best course of action
I am incidentally a member of AI and give them very modest support to cover the cost of the informative newsletter they send me

I too cancelled amnesty membership over this. Perhaps if more people who support them withdrew their memberships and thus funding they may think twice about any future action on this. Sounds good weeonion
please could you post a link to this project if possible? Ta

About 18 months ago AI did a consultation paper on decriminalising all aspects of the sex industry. Buried in a footnote was a statement along these lines "because sex is a human right we should not seek to criminalise those unable or unwilling to access it through conventional means"

I left then because they refused to back down from that stance. Fucking horrific.

Achieve there was a long documebt which included that justification as Hermione says. Obviously amnesty aren't putting that in the headlines,

Here you go achieve

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/guest_posts/1982419-Amnestys-proposal-to-legalise-prostitution-is-wrong-we-cant-let-men-who-exploit-women-off-the-hook

Another thread

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/guest_posts/1982419-Amnestys-proposal-to-legalise-prostitution-is-wrong-we-cant-let-men-who-exploit-women-off-the-hook

Thanks for the background Hermione
I think you can kind of see how such a statement could have slipped through originally as a clumsy footnote in the consultation paper

But appalling really that after all the feedback and response they've had they haven't reconsidered during the 18mths of consultation

Surely it's seeking loving and consensual sexual relationships that might be the human right if anything in this area is ...
or seeking meaningful mutually rewarding human relationships including their physical and other expression

You'll have to forgive me if the above isn't perfect, I've only given it 2 mins thought! As I've seen others suggest I think a key word is "seeking"

That is genuinely shocking. What the fuck are they thinking?

Yes juggling I think there is a human right to seek and form consensual adult relationships, but sex is not a human right.

The rage is upon me.

Throwing women under the bus.

I suppose like many other "worthy" organisations or groups, it transpires that actually they only have their eye on helping 50% of the population.

So.

Have they done anything explicitly to help women before? I mean, their problems in particular where they differ from men? All I know about them is that advocate for people who have been tortured and stuff. Has it been "people" all along. And women foolishly thought that included them?

And Juggling, you thinking about it for 2 mins nails it far better than AI have in 18 fucking months.

I can't believe they are listening to white heterosexual men. The least oppressed group in the world. Because that's what this is about.

Gutted.

I must admit I always thought they did good stuff though I don't know much about them.

They'll look a bit hypocritical if they do any Vawg campaigns now.