The 'industry' 2.0

I’ve written before about the sex industry being a trap for women, but putting an end to this exploitation won’t come about without help.

In Sweden, it is legal to sell sex acts, but in 1999 it was made illegal to buy them. This means that women aren’t being punished for the situation they have found themselves in but instead it is the men that are exploiting this by paying for sex acts that may find themselves faced with a fine or even up to six months in jail. This law has had important flow on effects, also leading to a decrease in the trafficking of women.

As well as punishing men, the law has also brought about changes for the sex workers themselves by making it easier than ever to escape from the “trap”. Women have access to counselling, accommodation, and even job training.

Unfortunately, the law hasn’t yet been adopted by many other countries (only Iceland and Norway so far) but on face value, it appears to be something which may be effective in Australia.

I know personally of one sex worker who is in the industry in order to provide for their family living overseas. With this law and the subsequent changes in the laws perception of sex workers, this person would be given access and training for jobs which would enable them to earn money without putting them at risk for sexual assault and all the other horrible things that the industry brings about.

The possibility of enacting a similar in Australia might not solve the problem but it would at least bring the issue into the spotlight. Maybe it’s something Australia should be thinking about...