Decriminalization of Prostitution in Canada - Article Example

? Decriminalization of Prostitution in Canada ID No. Introduction Prostitution, which is essentially the buying and selling of sex, has been a subject of debate in many countries worldwide. In some countries, prostitution has grown into a multi-million dollar industry, attracting a large number of prostitutes and clients. Although prostitution mainly involves the exchange of sex of money, other commodities such as food, jewelry and vehicles may be offered in exchange. This ‘occupation’ is mainly dominated by women, although male sex workers are also common. While some have advocated for the criminalization of prostitution and related activities, others have called for the decriminalization of these activities. This is a topic of legislative debate across many countries, and it is unlikely that the contest will end soon. In Canada, there are groups calling for the striking off segments of the Criminal Code, mainly sections 210 to 213, which criminalize prostitution and related activities in order to protect sex workers and their clients (Betteridge, 2005, p. 11). On the other hand, there are others who are against the decriminalization of prostitution as this will only expose the prostitutes and the general public to greater risks. This weighty matter has left lawmakers and other stakeholders at crossroads. The main aim of this paper is to contribute to the debate on whether or not these activities should be decriminalized in Canada by arguing against the decriminalization. Decimalization of prostitution poses a major threat to the life and security of women, promotes sex trafficking, increases child prostitution and helps to expand the sex industry. Decriminalizing of prostitution will thus prove costly in the long run. Why Prostitution should not be decriminalization In order to protect the lives and safety of the general public, it is important for prostitution to be viewed and treated as a form of sexual exploitation rather than as an occupation and a source of income. Decriminalizing prostitution has a number of consequences. First, decriminalization will lead to an increase in sex trafficking cases, both at local and international levels. As noted in the report by The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (2010), it is likely that third party business persons will want to profit from such activities by acting as middlemen or entrepreneurs. These people will be involved in the ‘marketing’ and ‘selling’ of women for sex. In the event that these middlemen lack adequate women to satisfy the market demand for sex, it is certain that they will engage in trafficking of women for sex. This will put the entire country at risk. This will lead to an increase in kidnap cases across the country and neighboring countries as well. Decriminalizing prostitution is one way of indirectly involving non-prostitutes in these activities since every man or woman will be seen as a potential client by these middlemen. This affects people’s daily activities and movements due to the fear of being kidnapped. In addition, this will paint a negative image of the country to the outside world, and thus affecting Canada’s relations with other countries. Secondly, decriminalization will only help to expand the sex industry in the country. This will mean that at all times, women of different races and ages will be put on display for sale, and this may involve foreigners trafficked from other countries (Raymond, 2003, p. 318). Prostitution will be converted into a quick profit earning business. This will significantly contribute to the expansion of the sex industry since people will start to engage in different forms of sexual exploitation including phone sex, table dancing and peep shows in order to satisfy their desires. In addition, decriminalization will further increase the access and consumption of pornographic material in the country. The major disadvantage is that when the sex industry is expanded, a majority of the population may be drawn into these activities, either voluntarily or by force. As a result, the country’s productivity is likely to decline and this will have dire consequences to the nation. In addition, it is likely that many young girls will quit schooling and their families in order to engage in prostitution to earn a living. Furthermore, increasing access to sex will affect many families in the country, and this may affect young children. In the end, Canada will be dominated by sex workers and their clients, with very few people willing to engage in other economic activities that promote the growth of the country. Thirdly, decriminalizing prostitution will increase cases of child prostitution in the country. As the sex industry becomes expanded, the demand for sex workers is likely to increase (Raymond, 2003 p. 320). Considering that this is an industry that requires neither skills nor certificates yet with high returns, this is likely to be attractive to young children. This will force young children, especially from poor backgrounds, to engage in these activities in order to earn a living. Furthermore, the influence these children get from their seniors who will be engaging in such activities is enough to attract them to prostitution. As discussed above, the middlemen who will benefit from the decriminalization might prey on young children since they are an easy target. Children, especially from developing nations, are likely to fall victim. This will be a sure sign that the future of Canada is doomed since the future generation will be lost. The probability that such children will contact sexually transmitted diseases and the risk of early pregnancies also increases since they have no knowledge on sex issues. This further shows that decriminalizing prostitution will have serious consequences to the country, and this will affect all the citizens. This will be putting the future of the country at a risk. Fourth, decriminalization will put the prostitutes in greater danger (Day, 2008 p. 21). This will result in increased cases of prostitutes being abused by their clients and the ‘middlemen’. Prostitutes will be seen as objects for sex, and hence clients would want to use them as they please in order to satisfy their desires. This takes away the dignity of the prostitutes and that of Canadian women in general. Decriminalization of prostitution makes women valuable only when having sex and no other value can be attached to women. This will take away the gains that have been made by women activists not only in Canada but throughout the world. Since a client legally pays for sex, he will want to get value for money, and this will involve misuse of the women. In addition, cases of violence against prostitutes are likely to increase. When a woman fails to satisfy the client’s needs, it is certain that the client would resort to violence and abuses. Furthermore, decimalization puts women at a greater risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases. For instance, if a woman insisted on using a condom or any other form of protection against the client’s wish, it is unlikely that the client will agree. The prostitute is required to satisfy the man sexually according to his wishes, and this many involve unprotected sex. As the old saying goes, ‘he who pays the piper dictates the tune.’ Finally, attempts to decriminalize prostitution would result in increased cases of drug abuse. A majority of women who engage in such activities are not proud of what they do. Most of them are forced into such activities, mainly due to poverty (Day, 2008 p. 26). Prostitution is seen by many, including the prostitutes themselves, to be morally wrong. In addition, some of the men who pay for sex do not enjoy doing that. In order to continue with such activities, it is likely that persons involved will resort to using drugs. For many, this is seen as a way to give them the courage to prostitute. It is hard to imagine that a sober woman would sleep with more than five men in a single night. The effects of increased drug abuse on the society are obvious, and it is likely that these drugs would be made easily accessible to the general public. Canada will thus become as society dominated by drug abusers and drug traffickers, and this will have negative effects on the economy. There are a number of arguments that have been put forward in support of decriminalization of prostitution. One of such arguments has been that decriminalization will help the country collect tax revenue from the industry. It has been stated that those who engage in these activities will have to remit taxes to the authorities, and this will be beneficial to the country. Whereas this may appear promising, there are certain issues the proponents fail to address. First, it is unlikely that the government will have the necessary mechanisms and structures to control the industry so as to ensure maximum collection of taxes. As indicated in the discussion above, decriminalization only helps to expand this industry, and this makes it difficult for the government to collect these taxes. As reported in the study conducted by Laura Barnett, Lyne Casavant and Julia Nicol (2011) on the prostitution legislation in some selected countries, prostitutes fail to register with the local authorities to avoid paying taxes. This shows that even if laws were to be put in place to facilitate the collection of these revenues, very few prostitutes will actually pay the taxes. Secondly, the economic gains, if any, are much less compared to the losses if prostitution was to be decriminalized. A large percentage of the working population, especially women, will be engaged in such activities. This will be disastrous to the economy. In addition, there is the problem of drug abuse which will have serious consequences to the economy. Finally, the economic cost associated with sexually transmitted diseases, especially HIV-AIDS, is higher than the economic gains that would be made from the industry. Conclusion Decriminalizing prostitution neither benefits the prostitutes nor the society as a whole. In fact, this will lead to further exploitation and mistreatment of women and at the same time take away the dignity of the women in our society. The entire Canadian society will have to bear the consequences associated with the decriminalization. This does not help to control the industry but instead helps to expand it to unimaginable levels. Prostitution has never been respectable, and decriminalization does not make it so. It is thus important for the government to explore other options of addressing the problem instead of decriminalization. One of such legal options would be the penalization of men who purchase sex. This will help to eliminate the demand side of it. Women should be encouraged to engage in other activities instead of encourage commercial sex work. There is need for the entire Canadian society to come together in protecting the future of this country. References Barnett, L., Casavant, L., & Nicol, J (2011). Prostitution: A Review of Legislation in Selected Countries. (Background Paper). Ottawa, Canada: Library of Parliament. Betteridge, G (2005). Legal Network report calls for decriminalization of prostitution in Canada. H I V / A I D S Policy & Law Review, 10(3), pp. 11-13 Day, S (2008). Prostitution: Violating the Human Right of Poor Women. Ontario action against violence against women. Pp. 1-67. Retrieved from http://aocvf.ca/documents/Prostitution-v.angl_FINALE_WEB.pdf Raymond, G (2003). Ten Reasons for Not Legalizing Prostitution and a Legal Response to the Demand for Prostitution. Journal of Trauma Practice, 2: pp. 315-332. The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (2010). Selling Ourselves: Prostitution in Canada-Where Are We Headed? Pp. 1-22. Read More