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?

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

patrishiare

And for the record many women who have been prostituted find the term "sexworkers" and the description of their abuse as "sex work" deeply, deeply offensive, too.

I look forward to you apologising, and ceasing to using these offensive terms immediately.

Psssst Annie!

That poster doesn't come up on AS, so I suspect might be something to do with the hacking

also thinks that misandry is a real thing, idiot

Omg @ q&a

Eg

"Decriminalization returns rights to the workers, making them free agents."

What a marvellous sounding load of tosh. I'd expect something like that from a politician.

"Q. Why does Amnesty International believe that paying for sex work is a human right?

Our policy is not about the rights of buyers of sex - it is entirely focussed on protecting sex workers who face a range of human rights violations that are linked to criminalization.

In adopting this policy, Amnesty International is saying that we believe that the rights of a group of people who can be extremely vulnerable to human rights abuses should be protected."

They do not retract their statement that there is a human right to sex.

Or their stance that those who won't out can't access it by other means must be able to purchase it.

So basically if I find a vulnerable 18yo and persuade then to consent to my male friend fucking them, in return for cash or drugs or food, or a place to sleep for the night, whatever it is, amnesty are ok with that.

I know people who have been offered drugs in return for sex, one of them agreed to have sex with 2 men. This sort of thing goes on all the time, they are on board with these type of practices.

It's not actually that difficult to get a vulnerable person to do what you want them too. Like many authorities and law enforcement agencies, they aren't interested though are they.

I think it's because when women and girls are damaged it rarely has an obvious effect on society unlike when young men are disenfranchised etc there can be civil unrest and so forth.

Maybe that is part of the reason there is this men's human right to sex thing, got to keep them happy otherwise there's trouble? And the health safety welfare & lives of females is a reasonable price to pay?

Presumably when sex work is advertised in job centres, adverts have to abide by equality laws and cannot specify age or sex?

And whilst clients may be able to specify "vaginal bought consent", if "oral bought consent" is specified, then it can be provided regardless of genitals of the worker?

And clients will have no say in the age of the worker, as they don't have for other casual personal work such as care?

This will happen because sex work is a job, yes?

Of course not.

WeSeeYou, pat.

Sex work has already been advertised in job centres, web cam I think it was. It think some women were directed towards it, it was a while ago can't remember the details. It was in the papers a bit.

So there were questions around jobfare would be a coup for the industry to get women from that source.

As you have to do it or lose your benefits it's consenting isn't it. There is a choice.

I've rung up and cancelled my monthly donation. No fucking chance on earth I will be bunging hundreds of pounds a year of my hard earned cash to support a campaign to make exploiting vulnerable women and girls a legal right. No fucking chance.

Does legalised prostitution increase trafficking? Yes.

www.lse.ac.uk/geographyAndEnvironment/whosWho/profiles/neumayer/pdf/Article-for-World-Development-prostitution-anonymous-REVISED.pdf

About sex work being advertised in job centres

www.heraldscotland.com/news/12765549.Job_centres_in_row_over_sex_industry_ads/

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2009/apr/07/prostitution-sex-industry-economics

It was banned in 2010, but then this happened

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/jobseeker-ad-for-lap-dancers-breaks-government-ban-8745589.html

NoTechnologicalBreakdown look here

The French organization Coalition for the Abolition of Prostitution have said that they will now cease working with or supporting Amnesty, and presumably a number of other organisations will do the same.

I am leaving as a result of this. Wonder how many members they will lose or already have lost. I wouldn't be surprised if both my parents also leave, though they've been members for many years and like me, would be very disappointed to feel they had to do that.

I note that their Q&A says practically nothing about the punters, and is massively vague about pimps and their role in controlling and abusing prostituted women.

More lines from Amnesty. Am not convinced.

"As our most recent statements says a crucial vote to protect the human rights of sex workers was passed today in Dublin at Amnesty International’s decision-making forum, the International Council Meeting (ICM). Delegates from around the world adopted a resolution which authorized the International Board to develop and adopt a policy on the issue.

“Sex workers are one of the most marginalized groups in the world who in most instances face constant risk of discrimination, violence and abuse. Our global movement paved the way for adopting a policy for the protection of the human rights of sex workers which will help shape Amnesty International’s future work on this important issue,” said Salil Shetty, Secretary General of Amnesty International.

The resolution recommends that Amnesty International develop a policy that supports the full decriminalization of all aspects of consensual sex work. The policy will also call on states to ensure that sex workers enjoy full and equal legal protection from exploitation, trafficking and violence.

“We recognize that this critical human rights issue is hugely complex and that is why we have addressed this issue from the perspective of international human rights standards. We also consulted with our global movement to take on board different views from around the world,” said Salil Shetty.

The research and consultation carried out in the development of this policy in the past two years concluded that this was the best way to defend sex workers’ human rights and lessen the risk of abuse and violations they face.

The violations that sex workers can be exposed to include physical and sexual violence, arbitrary arrest and detention, extortion and harassment, human trafficking, forced HIV testing and medical interventions. They can also be excluded from health care and housing services and other social and legal protection.

The policy has drawn from an extensive evidence base from sources including UN agencies, such as the World Health Organization, UNAIDS, UN Women and the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health. We have also conducted research in four countries.

The consultation included sex worker groups, groups representing survivors of prostitution, abolitionist organizations, feminist and other women's rights representatives, LGBTI activists, anti- trafficking agencies and HIV/AIDS organizations.

Amnesty International considers human trafficking abhorrent in all of its forms, including sexual exploitation, and should be criminalized as a matter of international law. This is explicit in this new policy and all of Amnesty International’s work.

“This is a historic day for Amnesty International. It was not a decision that was reached easily or quickly and we thank all our members from around the world, as well as all the many groups we consulted, for their important contribution to this debate. They have helped us reach an important decision that will shape this area of our human rights work going forward,” said Salil Shetty.

For more information on this and the ICM please see our website

www.amnesty.org.uk/global-movement-votes-adopt-policy-protect-human-rights-sex-workers

I agree Irene, only trafficking is mentioned as something they are against: so coercion and pimping are fine then?

I'd read that AI support that the sex workers themselves are not criminalised, as they are in many countries around the world. It's them who end up arrested and stigmatised.
But that they are very much against trafficking, and leave to the countries to criminalise or not punters and pimps.
Forcing or coercing someone to be a sex worker should be criminalised to the extent that non consensual sex is.

I'm not that shocked by AI, although I'd think they could be more clear about all the people who are involved in prostitution. But I wholeheartedly agree that the weakest link should never be penalised.

I haven't read anyone who thinks the people selling sex on the front line should be criminalised, lweji.

It's what happens after that.

Amnesty take the view that even when people are forced to sell sex through economic necessity ie do it or starve, do it or children starve, this should be treated the same as any other work, I think cleaning was specifically mentioned iirc

The report additionally barely mentions that this is gendered with men being the vast majority of purchasers and women and girls being the vast majority of prostituted.

Their stance that sexual intercourse is a human right in unpalatable. Their statement that people who don't want , or are unable to access sex via other means, should have the ability to purchase sex is bizarre.

There was more.

That was in the original discussion paper, they don't seem to have updated our changed it.

Oh and in it, it treated those on the "front line" as the same as those in the background. Ie pimps etc. And punters were barely mentioned even though they are a source of huge risk, apart from to say that their ability to buy women was a human right.

All of the vast array of problems were barely touched on, they just sort of said "yeah that should be illegal and week leave that to someone else to think about".

Also if you say that selling sex is the same as any other work then there is no need for assistance, exit strategies and so on. Because you don't have those things for other jobs, do you.

Yet at the same time there aren't any other jobs that as a fundamental part mean such large physical and psychological risks for often young vulnerable people.

To be fair, the Amnesty Q&A does say that lots of people end up in prostitution unwillingly and that this is an extra reason to protect them (which is certainly true).

But they leave so many questions unanswered; they mention that 50% of prostitutes report being raped but never address who raped them, how and why. It's a massive gap. If they are going to campaign for decrim I think they should also have a massive push to enable prostitutes to report abusive punters and get them prosecuted in a court of law. Plus a big programme of help for prostitutes to keep them safe, help with drug problems and enable those who want to leave the profession to do so.

I would also like to see an admission from Amnesty that using a prostitute is a bloody awful thing to do and that the only reason they don't want to criminalise punters is because they think it would make life less safe for prostitutes (I don't agree with this position myself but I do think it is the most cogent criticism of the Nordic approach).

I really don't see it that black and white because decriminalisation is more likely to bring in regulations and checks and overall protection.
Men can still be prosecuted for coercion, violence and rape.
I do not thing there is a perfect choice but I don't think this stance is that bad.
Even though I'm against prostitution and have no respect for those who use or profit from prostitutes.

If, and I'm taking their text at face value, the vast majority of organisations linked with prostitution support this, I'd think it is likely that it will benefit the women involved in prostitution. No matter how you regard prostitution.

I'll be jumped on, but I don't support abortion per se, but I agree with it being legal and for women to have the right to do it as the best option in a less than ideal world for reasons of their safety, mental health and so on.