Can Legalized Prostitution Ever be Safe & Free of Exploitation?

Some say laws against prostitution unfairly victimize women.

A Canadian court recently ruled that laws preventing brothels endangered prostitutes by forcing them to work on the streets.

And as the recent Secret Service scandal makes clear, in Colombia, prostitution is legal in “tolerance zones.”

But in Spain, prostitution is essentially legal, and the nation has become a magnet for sex trafficking.

Can legalized prostitution ever be safe and free of exploitation? Or should laws against prostitution remain?

Prostitution laws in the United States were developed from confused and contradictory impulses, to punish and help sex workers at the same time, reflecting the society’s ambivalence and hypocrisy about sex, male desire and women’s sexual autonomy.

The idea that incarceration would be a prescription to “save” prostitutes seems more and more absurd and increasingly at odds with contemporary views of prostitution. There is a growing understanding of the right to sexual self-determination.

Social work now emphasizes non-judgemental approaches intended to reduce harm, rather than punish. Internationally these trends became apparent when the secretary general of the United Nations called for the decriminalization of sex work with an end to legislation that “prompted governments to treat people as second-class citizens or even criminals.” And human rights activists agree that those who are affected by these policies should also be in the lead when developing them. “Nothing about us without us” is the new ethic.

Sex workers are valuable members of the community who deserve legal rights, not punishment.

The recent Canadian court decision helps establish social justice for sex workers in Canada. The court ruled against laws that put prostitutes at risk by preventing them from working indoors, screening clients or hiring bodyguards. The decision also clarifies pimping laws so sex workers can enter business relationships, rent apartments, etc. An upcoming Canadian case challenges communication laws that endanger street workers.

Other countries should follow Canada’s lead. Now, when a sex worker is raped, she or he is unlikely to go to the police, fearing arrest. Rapists are well aware of that vulnerability, even claiming to target sex workers because they know they have no recourse. Exploitation and danger are exacerbated when sex work is criminalized. Studies consistently show areduction in violence when sex work is legal.

Of course, decriminalization is not the answer to all the problems. It’s only a starting place, so that sex workers can begin to protect themselves, organize and advocate.

In New Zealand, commercial sex is regulated not by criminal law, but by civil codes, business regulations and the range of fair labor protections.

Prostitution prohibition campaigns often associate legal prostitution with increased trafficking. But academics, journalists and activists have debunked these claims as manipulative, inaccurate and unscientific.

Contemporary prohibitionists prescribe the “Swedish model,” which criminalizes clients of sex workers. Although such laws are promoted as a solution to violence against prostitutes in Sweden, well-documented and independent studies have shown that these laws expose them to greater danger as they drive sex workers underground.

Contrary to popular stereotypes, sex workers are valuable members of our communities who contribute a great deal to their families, and to the economy of their countries. Accepting this would create a practical and fair approach to sex worker safety, and let us reject antique moralism that protected women from sex itself and used public order laws to control the poor.

Kamran Shafi Calls Army’s Indulgence in the Media `Monkey Business’

Monkey business-military set to expand media outreach across country

by Kamran Shafi

What the devil is going on?

Why is there no reaction from the sitting government, and the leaders of the political parties in the opposition including the self-proclaimed future prime minister of Pakistan Imran Khan; why none from the various spokespeople who regale us with their silly arguments every single evening on the mostly nonsensical TV talk shows; why indeed, have none of the tens of channels picked up on an earth-shaking report in this newspaper of record of April 15, 2012 titled, “Apna Pakistan: Military set to expand media outreach across country“?

We are told that the aim is “social harmonisation” and to propagate “state vision” in a “vibrant manner”. The CEO of 96 International Radio Network, a serving colonel of the Pakistan Army added in an interview to this paper that the “network is being planned to bring social harmony to a society that has been radicalised”.

Really now?

So then, despite the track record of our brass hats in political interventions; even after the recent upheaval in relations between the elected government and the army brass in which the ISPR had the gall to issue direct threats of “serious ramifications” to the PM himself, the de jure boss of the armed forces, the politicians are all right with this ‘media outreach’ by the army?

Leave alone the politicians own, and the country’s interests in containing the army brass to their cantonments and training areas, they should also consider the costs of this ‘outreach’ in terms of what it will do to the revered and respected institution of Radio Pakistan which has done so much for integration by reaching out to the farthest corners of our country; and by encouraging many artistes, especially those from the backward regions of Pakistan.

Indeed, who of my generation doesn’t recall the dulcet tones of Edward Carrapiet and Shaista Zaid announcing ‘This is Radio Pakistan; here is the news read by”. Halcyon days indeed for this great medium on which comedians like Imam Din would take a dig at almost everyone; on which Malik Khuda Bakhsh Bucha would host a programme giving agricultural advice. Radio Pakistan even today is doing yeoman service to the people, especially the poor. How can any government think of killing such an ‘outreach’?

For that is what it is. The bazaar gup is that the baboos of the finance and information ministries are deliberately killing Radio Pakistan by starving it of funds to suck up to the Deep State. It is said that not only has the PBC’s development budget been cut down, even its pay and pension bills are not being paid in full. This is disgraceful and needs urgent review by the government.

But let’s go back to the future wannabe media empire to be run by the Pakistan Army. Might one ask how a serving officer is running FM 96? Is FM 96 an army unit? Is the colonel on ERE (extra regimental employment) there? Does the ARR (Army Rules and Regulations) apply to him and to his assistants who are surely from the army too? Most critically, why does the ISPR not answer any questions about this venture? What’s going on?

Neither is this all. One of the reasons cited for the setting up of this channel is that it will be aimed towards the ‘difficult’ areas. While preliminary research conducted this last week through friends who know Fata says that Radio Pakistan is heard in most of the tribal areas, the question to ask is why FM 96 also wants to set up FM stations in main cities such as Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi? Is this aimed towards making money through advertisements, adding to the army’s business portfolio of bakeries, shaadi ghars and real estate businesses?

Wake up, Prime Minister, and put an immediate stop to this monkey business. Hasn’t this country had enough of the Deep State’s ‘social harmonisation’?

 

Kamran Shafi

What the devil is going on?

Why is there no reaction from the sitting government, and the leaders of the political parties in the opposition including the self-proclaimed future prime minister of Pakistan Imran Khan; why none from the various spokespeople who regale us with their silly arguments every single evening on the mostly nonsensical TV talk shows; why indeed, have none of the tens of channels picked up on an earth-shaking report in this newspaper of record of April 15, 2012 titled, “Apna Pakistan: Military set to expand media outreach across country“?

We are told that the aim is “social harmonisation” and to propagate “state vision” in a “vibrant manner”. The CEO of 96 International Radio Network, a serving colonel of the Pakistan Army added in an interview to this paper that the “network is being planned to bring social harmony to a society that has been radicalised”.

Really now?

So then, despite the track record of our brass hats in political interventions; even after the recent upheaval in relations between the elected government and the army brass in which the ISPR had the gall to issue direct threats of “serious ramifications” to the PM himself, the de jure boss of the armed forces, the politicians are all right with this ‘media outreach’ by the army?

Leave alone the politicians own, and the country’s interests in containing the army brass to their cantonments and training areas, they should also consider the costs of this ‘outreach’ in terms of what it will do to the revered and respected institution of Radio Pakistan which has done so much for integration by reaching out to the farthest corners of our country; and by encouraging many artistes, especially those from the backward regions of Pakistan.

Indeed, who of my generation doesn’t recall the dulcet tones of Edward Carrapiet and Shaista Zaid announcing ‘This is Radio Pakistan; here is the news read by”. Halcyon days indeed for this great medium on which comedians like Imam Din would take a dig at almost everyone; on which Malik Khuda Bakhsh Bucha would host a programme giving agricultural advice. Radio Pakistan even today is doing yeoman service to the people, especially the poor. How can any government think of killing such an ‘outreach’?

For that is what it is. The bazaar gup is that the baboos of the finance and information ministries are deliberately killing Radio Pakistan by starving it of funds to suck up to the Deep State. It is said that not only has the PBC’s development budget been cut down, even its pay and pension bills are not being paid in full. This is disgraceful and needs urgent review by the government.

But let’s go back to the future wannabe media empire to be run by the Pakistan Army. Might one ask how a serving officer is running FM 96? Is FM 96 an army unit? Is the colonel on ERE (extra regimental employment) there? Does the ARR (Army Rules and Regulations) apply to him and to his assistants who are surely from the army too? Most critically, why does the ISPR not answer any questions about this venture? What’s going on?

Neither is this all. One of the reasons cited for the setting up of this channel is that it will be aimed towards the ‘difficult’ areas. While preliminary research conducted this last week through friends who know Fata says that Radio Pakistan is heard in most of the tribal areas, the question to ask is why FM 96 also wants to set up FM stations in main cities such as Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi? Is this aimed towards making money through advertisements, adding to the army’s business portfolio of bakeries, shaadi ghars and real estate businesses?

Wake up, Prime Minister, and put an immediate stop to this monkey business. Hasn’t this country had enough of the Deep State’s ‘social harmonisation’?