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?

[FrancesOldhamKelseyRIP]

They took a stand on decriminalisation of abortion a while ago to be fair. They didn't go as far as declaring it a human right I think, but it did lose them a fair amount of support, especially from Catholics - it wasn't a risk free option.

And I'm sure they've done campaigns on violence against women, rape in war and FGM.

Doesn't make them right on this, but it's not fair to say they ignore women's rights issues.

[WhirlpoolGalaxyM51]

Just googled saw this www.ngo-monitor.org/article/second_class_rights_how_amnesty_international_human_rights_watch_fail_women_in_the_middle_east don't know about the reliability of the source.

I don't really trust any organisations any more that are supposed to work for people, to genuinely include female people in their definition of people.

[AnyFucker]

Yes, apparently so

How lovely that they support the rights of men to rape and abuse women.

From Twitter: Karen Ingala Smith
?@K_IngalaSmith

"Let's sip champers to celebrate that poor and marginalised women have to suck dick to survive." #cheers

^^ sums it up for me

[IrenetheQuaint]

What is their position on pimping - would they decriminalise that too?

[WhirlpoolGalaxyM51]

Yes, pimps etc count as "sex workers" so they will be fighting to make their activities legal around the globe.

[WhirlpoolGalaxyM51]

So anyone engaged in any facet of the sex industry.

They also say that people driven to sell sex due to poverty should not be considered any more vulnerable than say someone working as a cleaner. That sex work is the exact same as any other type of work.

Why they then say you have to be over 18 is beyond me. That seems entirely inconsistent. It's possible that stance might change I suppose. Otherwise it's rather illogical. Similarly if sex is a human right that does lead to some big dilemmas.

[OTheHugeManatee]

I saw this earlier and was and a bit

[AnyFucker]

Next step.

Poor single mothers under 22 will be forced into sex work (another gem revealed this week). Such "jobs" will be promoted at the Job CentrePlus as non-negotiable, what with women being legally obliged to suck men's cocks to feed their children.

[AnyFucker]

fuming

[WhirlpoolGalaxyM51]

Well this is it, isn't it.

People who say it's a job like any other don't believe it for a moment. Everyone knows it. This bizarre pretence. And an organisation that purports to care about people states this too, as truth. And then in the same breath, says it shouldn't be allowed if you're under 18. Why not then? Most countries around the world it's legal to work before you're 18.

[ArcheryAnnie]

Am fucking furious about this.

Fucking Amnesty.

(I never thought in a million years I'd ever type the words "fucking Amnesty".)

The whole thing is just so disengenuous. "We listened to sex workers!" they cry. And forget to add the necessary coda "except for all the ones who said things we weren't prepared to hear that went against our pre-decided outcomes!"

Half of the "sex-worker-led" organisations are pimp-led, and at least one of the others (a very famous one) are just a mad bunch of cultish entryists who mostly aren't sex workers at all.

[WombOfOnesOwn]

And the real hell of it?

Amnesty sure doesn't "listen to women" when it comes to ABORTION rights. Nope. They haven't advocated for repro care access or reproductive justice.

The language they adopted, by the way, mentions only once that women are "a majority" of "sex workers," not that they are the vast majority or that men are the vast majority of clients. The entire gendered nature of the issue is elidedif an alien were to read the document, they might conclude that just slightly more women than men engage in prostitution and only because women's economic circumstances are a bit harder generallynot that men have acted as if they have a right to women's bodies for millenia.

[BakingCookiesAndShit]

Oh, they listen to women, but only women who agree with them or who in my opinion used to be men.

Fuck poor women.

Fuck women in developing countries.

They all need to suck white cocks and get over themselves.

Beyond fuming

[patrishiare]

Amnesty International have voted to offically support decriminalisation of sexwork between consenting adults.

They do not support trafficking, rape, assault, exploitation of minors etc and those crimes will remain illegal

There is no evidence to support the theory that decrim would increase trafficking.

Amnesty Q+A here:
www.amnesty.org/qa-policy-to-protect-the-human-rights-of-sex-workers/

[patrishiare]

from my link:

"7. Why doesn’t Amnesty International support the Nordic model?

Even though sex workers are not directly criminalized under the Nordic model, operational aspects – like purchasing sex and renting premises to sell sex in – are still criminalized. This compromises sex workers safety and leaves them vulnerable to abuse; they can still be pursued by police whose aim is often to eradicate sex work through enforcing the criminal law.

In reality, laws against buying sex mean that sex workers have to take more risks to protect buyers from detection by the police. Sex workers we spoke to regularly told us about being asked to visit customers’ homes to help them avoid police, instead of going to a place where sex worker felt safer.

Sex work is still highly stigmatized under the Nordic model and contributes to the discrimination and marginalization of sex workers. "

[BakingCookiesAndShit]

Bollocks pat.

Utter, utter bollocks. There is huge amounts of evidence to show that decrim increases trafficking exponentially.

But thanks for joining MN just to let us know you're a pimp or a john.

[patrishiare]

"Will prostitutes have enforced H&S practices too"

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that would be regulated legalisation, not decriminalisation.

And for the record many sexworkers find the term "prostitute" offensive.

[patrishiare]

"There is huge amounts of evidence to show that decrim increases trafficking exponentially."

Please elaborate. What do you know that the biggest human rights org in the world doesn't know?

[patrishiare]

AI aren't even "protecting pimps":

"6. Those who sell sex need protection, but why protect the “pimps”?

Our policy is not about protecting “pimps”. Third parties that exploit or abuse sex workers will still be criminalized under the model we are proposing.

But there are overly broad laws, like those against “brothel keeping” or “promotion” that are often used against sex workers and criminalise actions they take to try and stay safe. For example, in many countries two sex workers working together for safety is considered a “brothel”. Our policy is calling for laws to be re-focused to tackle acts of exploitation, abuse and trafficking - rather than having catch-all offences that criminalize sex workers and endanger their lives."

[Hazchem]

Why aren't they calling for laws that remove poverty? Minimum wages? Living wages? Why aren't they calling for laws that end inequality? Why aren't they calling for laws that protect women from violence?

[ApocalypseThen]

Delighted I gave up membership when this was proposed. I'd hate to be a member today.

[NoTechnologicalBreakdown]

"Poor single mothers under 22 will be forced into sex work (another gem revealed this week). "

What's that all about AnyFucker? What's been revealed this week, missed that one?

[ChunkyPickle]

The thing is, this isn't workable. If it's treated as any other job, then there need to be risk assessments, liability insurance, tax returns, accounts etc.

Which the vulnerable women, who need help, will not be able to afford to do, and so will be breaking another law instead.

I haven't seen any discussion on how it's actually making it safer (except for 'bringing it out in the open') for any woman.