If prostitution is legalised altogether we will be giving a gift to pimps and traffickers and this will be part of your legacy, women’s rights activist Anna Borg told the Parliamentary Committee on Social Affairs yesterday.
The committee was discussing human trafficking and prostitution reforms.
The prostitution and human trafficking reform has brought about a heated debate on whether or not sex work should be decriminalised altogether, or that buying sex should be criminalised.
The committee meeting saw a number of familiar faces take part in the discussion, with Maria Pisani Director of the Integra Foundation, lecturer Anna Borg and Alternattiva Demokratika member Mina Tolu present and all speaking about the different country models on prostitution. It was noted that no actual sex workers were present during the Committee meeting.
Borg was speaking on behalf of the 40 NGOs who have come together to submit a reform of human trafficking and prostitution, in favour of the Nordic model. The Nordic model decriminalises all those who are prostituted, provides support services to help them get out of prostitution and makes buying people for sex a criminal offence. “The Nordic model initially saves lives and shifts the power from the client to the women,” said Borg.
Borg said that once prostitution is legalised it will only increase the demand for prostitutes, and therefore increase human trafficking. “We cannot separate prostitution and human trafficking, as legalising sex work is expanding the sex industry, and we are seeing this happening in places like Spain and Holland.”
Anna Vella, a volunteer at Dar Hosea, who works with vulnerable women coming from a background of prostitution explained that most of these women have lost their dignity. “It is a difficult life they live and we are here to provide them with the necessary needs and counselling.”
Vella asked why those pushing for decriminalisation continuously push for an ‘exit programme’ for women who supposedly want to work as a sex worker. “Why do we constantly speak about an exit programme, if these women have the choice to do this work? It is of course because they are vulnerable and they did not go into this job out of choice.”
Vella pointed out that since the Netherlands had legalised prostitution, over 127 prostitutes have died. “Whilst we do not want to criminalise prostitution, we believe that a large number of women who are in this work are in a vulnerable position.”
Parliamentary Secretary for Equality and Reforms Rosianne Cutajar highlighted that not all women are in need for the exit programme as there are those who sincerely choose to be a sex worker and wish to have proper worker’s rights. “There are two realities, those women who choose to be sex workers and those who have been forced into it, and we need to address both,” explained Cutajar.
Cutajar added that there is not enough information on sex workers, as they are not comfortable to come forward and speak up. “We politicians are here speaking up about these sex workers, but they are not here speaking up about their issues as there is so much stigma in this country, making it difficult for them to speak up.”
Full decriminalisation of sex work must be preceded by appropriate investment
The full decriminalisation of sex work must be preceded by appropriate investment in social work and key institutions, explained Claire Camilleri from Aditus Foundation. “The current situation is failing all sex workers, but if we introduce either model in the present circumstance, this would also lead to failure,” said Camilleri.
Camilleri, alongside Maria Pisani from Integra Foundation explained their position on the decriminalisation of sex workers, and highlighted the need to improve their access to healthcare, housing and protection under the law.
“There needs to be a power shift centred on the sex worker and we need to provide them with the necessary rights and legal protection to ensure their safety,” said Pisani.
Pisani highlighted that there must be a proper and clear distinction between trafficking and sex work. “There has already been a lot of discussion on trafficking, but there is so much more to be addressed on this issue.”
Pisani added that if one was to switch off the red light, the government will only be pushing sex workers into the dark, increasing their vulnerability.
Alongside Pisani and other NGOs highlighted that there needs to be much more time for discussion and consultation. Parliamentary Secretary Cutajar explained that there will be more consultation meetings in the upcoming weeks for further discussions to take place.
Alongside Aditus and Integra, Alternattiva Demokratika said it is also pushing for full decriminalisation in terms of sex work, therefore no criminalisation of sex workers and no criminalisation of clients. They pointed out that it is important to highlight the difference between human trafficking and sex workers.
“We are pushing to provide support for these sex workers, so that they are not pushed further underground and we must have the right social systems for these sex workers,” explained Tolu. They pointed out that there must be more sex education and better social services to start working on removing the stigma about sex workers.