Decriminalise sex work in SA - Amnesty

File picture: Christian Hartmann

File picture: Christian Hartmann

Published Aug 19, 2015

Share

Pretoria - The long-standing battle to legalise adult prostitution in South Africa got a boost following Amnesty International’s (AI) support for the decriminalisation of sex work in the country.

The international non-governmental organisation’s call has received a warm reception from South African sex workers, who urged the SA Law Reform Commission to make a recommendation to change the current legislation soon.

Policy development and advocacy specialist at Sonke Gender Justice, Dr Marlise Richter, said they were happy that AI had joined in the fight to help encourage the government to take its call seriously.

“There is no denying there is a stigma in South African communities and around the world; hence the high levels of violence against sex workers.

“We don’t think that decriminalisation will solve everything in one swoop.

“But it would be getting us one step closer to that change that is so desperately needed,” she said.

“We hope that with this support the law commission will be spurred into delivering its recommendations to the minister of justice soon.

“The discussion paper on ‘Project 107: Adult Prostitution’ was released in 2009 and recommendations were to be expected, but nothing has been heard since,” said Richter.

Meanwhile, sex work is still criminalised in South Africa – both the buying and selling of sex by consenting adults.

Sex Workers Education and Advocacy Taskforce, Sisonke National Movement of Sex Workers, the Women’s Legal Centre and Sonke Gender Justice have noted that the need for the decriminalisation of sex work is particularly pressing as continued criminalisation has had adverse effects on sex workers and society.

They said that serious human rights violations, high levels of gender-based violence and barriers to accessing health services were just some of the challenges experienced by continued criminalisation of the trade.

In a statement, the various organisations said the decriminalisation of sex work was the only legal model for sex work that was based within the human rights framework which could support increased respect, protection and fulfilment of sex workers human rights.

The statement read: “We encourage the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development to accept Amnesty International’s policy position as a compelling factor in deciding on how it will present the eventual bill on sex work to the Legislature.

“Similarly, we call on the South African National Aids Counciland the Department of Health to recognise the public health benefits of decriminalisation and to publicly support this position.”

[email protected]

Pretoria News

Related Topics: