Sex Work should be legalized.
Those against it say the Philippines is no place for legalization of sex work as
exploitation exists especially among people who are forced into prostitution due to
poverty.
As defined in Art 202, paragraph 1 of the RPC , a prostitute is a woman who
for money or profit habitually indulge in sexual intercourse or lascivious conduct.
This provision is anti-poor as it fails to see situations where sex workers are
victims of poverty and the lack of opportunities for employment and access to decent
standards of living and quality of life.
Why we should legalize it?
1. It respects human rights and dignity.
There are many reasons why adults do sex work, whether it is their main
livelihood, a temporary means to survive, or an opportunity to supplement other
income. Whatever the reasons, sex work is work, and sex workers should be treated
with dignity. Sex workers in many parts of the world have organized to fight for
human rights that cannot be fully realized as long as criminal laws threaten sex
workers access to justice, health, and social services; undermine their right to
labor and workplace protections; and expose them to violence and discrimination.
2. It helps guard against violence and abuse.
Sex work is not inherently violent; it is the criminalization that places sex
workers at greatest risk. The need to avoid arrest that means street-based sex
workers must often move to more isolated areas that are less visible to law
enforcement, and where violence is more prevalent
3. It improves access to justice
Laws that criminalize sex work cause sex workers to feel unsafe reporting
crimes because they fear prosecution, police surveillance, stigma, and
discrimination.
4. It challenges the consequences of having a criminal record
Individuals with sex work-related criminal records face great difficulty
finding non-sex work employment wherein they are forced to engaged in
criminalities.
5. It improves access to health services, reduces risk of HIV and STDs and promotes
safe working conditions
It enables sex workers to work where they can organize appropriate,
accessible, and respectful health services for themselves. This offers a powerful
alternative to the stigma and discrimination sex workers face in their interactions
with many health care providers.
When sex work is legalized, sex workers are empowered to insist on condom use
by clients, and are better able to access testing and treatment for HIV and sexually
transmitted infections.
For instance, in New Zealand, legalizing sex work enables
the inclusion of sex work in the Health and Safety Employment Act, resulting in
the creation of occupational health guidelines that sex workers have used to assert
their rights with employers and clients.
6. It allows for effective responses to trafficking
Sex workers can be natural allies in the fight against trafficking, and may
be well placed to refer trafficking victims to appropriate services. When freed from
the threat of criminal penalties, sex workers can organize and collaborate with law
enforcement.
Therefore:
Prostitution, or the exchange of sexual services for money or favors should
be seen in two ways, willing (sex work) and forced/coerced (sex trafficking). We
can recognize and fight for the human rights and dignity of sex workers and be
against sex trafficking at the same time.
Legalizing sex work seeks to decongest the load of justice system, allow law
enforcement officers to pay more attention to graver offenses, improve the
administration of justice and give a more humane countenance on our justice
system, which prioritize the rehabilitation of the offender and acknowledges the
value of human life.
Are you aware that there are prostitutes that are registered?
Yes.
So why not legalize sex work if it is already existing in the society
Do you agree with me that a sexwork is a victimless?
As to the increase of diseases such as HIV and aids if the sex work is legalized, we
cannot presume that this disease is raised because of the legalization and from
sex workers. Infact there are persons that has been affected with this virus
transmitted from a non sex worker.
Sexual intercourse between a sex worker and a client is entered into by two
consenting persons, in legal age so why should the government interfere with it if
they are only exercising their right to sexual life.
As to the morality, prostitution is immoral, yes, how about those other kind of
prostitution which are showing their naked bodies to medias. Is that moral? No
right. Because we are already accepting these kind of set-up of arrangement that
is why we should legalize it after all legalizing sexwork is not about accepting
immorality but rather regulating it.