Fifth Week - Prostitution

Prostitution in Sao Paulo, Brazil

Wilfredo Rafael Rodriguez Hernandez

Creative Commons Zero, Public Domain Dedication

WikiMedia Commons

This week...during the discussion appeared the question: if prostitution as a sexual activity, must be legalized? My opinion was that yes, it must be so the system can legally offer some rights and protection or at least some way to be in the system so the people practicing this job can have a path to claim.

What I didn´t know is that it doesn't have to be legalized to be regularized, and after talking to a lawyer in Colombia, explained to me that are two different concepts. That´s the case in Colombia. It is not legalized, it is not prohibited, but it is regularized. And that is what I finally, think it should be: regularized. She also explained to me, that as a job, it is under all the worker's laws and rights. 

Some are in opposition because it is just a way to have statistics and it won´t prevent them from being hurt. I understand. It may not be the solution to the problem but it brings more benefits. Also, I want to be clear that it won't end the practice. Sexual work gives a lot of money and there are a lot of clients.

In the case of statistics, they are needed to move the system culturally and legally. The thing is that it should not stay in numbers. The only way these numbers move society is to use them to claim rights, justice, or opportunities to make it better. That it won´t prevent them from being hurt, of course, usually this work is done in an intimate space, so usually no one knows what happened except the people involved. Another thing is the blame and prejudice that society gives to the activity and the person who does it. And I think that this is the most difficult thing to solve. Because with this prejudice, shame and blame, would make it harder for them to have rights, to be protected, or to claim justice. 

In Colombia, as I say it it not legalized or prohibited, but it is regulated. One of the important documents that exist in the country is the 2010 statement from the constitutional court - Sentencia T-629/10 -  that talks about prostitution. In the beginning of the document, it explicitly state the importance of the situation of women and of women that are head of the family. It also mentioned that the agreement in sexual work is understood as a work contract. This is important because automatically, it brings all the worker´s laws over the sexual work. As I said, the problem is when this situation usually happens irregularly or in an illegal atmosphere. So is better for them to know there is a way as in any other job that they can have an opportunity or a space. They can make this business a job with the same rights and may be not discriminated against by any kind of attention: justice, health care, pension, etc.

It is also known, that the people who do this kind of work, in most of cases are there for necessity, but maybe there is a way to do it better. 

Something that this statement, talks about too, is the situation of pregnant women and after pregnancy. This was new for me, but at least the document thought about that.

Another important thing is that this statement is created after a case, in which a sexual worker called LAIS, demanded her rights against the bar where she worked. In this case, she claimed several rights that are contemplated in the Colombian Constitution as the right to have a family, work, decent life, social security, health care, equality, human dignity, minimum vital, and lactation rights.

I know that this kind of case where the sexual worker demands are not usual, but it brings a possibility to them.

So, I think that these legal instruments can make the situation better for them. Prohibition would make it worse because they would be lost in the system and without an exit. But when it is regulated, at least there is a door or a window to have better conditions.

"El modelo abolicionista pretende, desde el punto de vista jurídico, la ausencia total de reconocimiento del fenómeno y de las actividades conexas por parte del orden jurídico. Lo que se elimina no es el hecho en sí de la prostitución, sino la aceptación de su existencia y por tanto de regulación normativa. Su fundamento se ha encontrado en la necesidad de proteger la familia, pero también la dignidad de las mujeres. De tal suerte, se excluye la punición de la actividad individual, aunque se puede perseguir la organización de negocios destinados a la prestación de servicios sexuales." Corte constitucinal  colombiana (2010). 

On the other way:

"El modelo reglamentista, difundido en Europa tras las conquistas napoleónicas, tiende a reconocer la prostitución como un mal social que al no poderse combatir, debe ser regulado a fin de evitar los efectos perniciosos relacionados con la salud, el orden social, la convivencia y buenas costumbres, que pudieren derivar de su ejercicio. En este orden, la reglamentación persigue la identificación geográfica y localización delimitada de la actividad, a fin de disminuir el impacto que producen en el funcionamiento de la ciudad y en el desarrollo de los objetivos públicos urbanos."  Corte constitucinal  colombiana (2010). 

The document also review the issue in law in other places:

"Como caso tipo del modelo prohibicionista, se encuentran la totalidad de los Estados federados de USA, con excepción de Nevada, donde se habilita a los condados a establecer si se prohíbe o se autoriza la práctica de la prostitución. 

[...]

Inglaterra, desde mediados del siglo XIX, ha seguido un modelo abolicionista, que aunque no sanciona la venta de prestaciones sexuales ni condena al cliente, sí prohíbe la explotación de la prostitución así como el acto d inducir a la misma.

[...]

"En países como Italia y Francia, por ejemplo, no se encuentra prohibido ejercer el oficio, no obstante ser ilegal la organización de actividades, locales, dedicados a la prostitución, al igual que el proxenetismo.  En España, existe una legislación penal que persigue desde el propio rufianismo, esto es, la explotación sexual de un tercero para el beneficio económico aún bajo el consentimiento de aquél, hasta las formas de explotación sexual que proceden mediante engaño, presión o fuerza. De otro lado, las comunidades autónomas poseen competencias para establecer medidas de carácter urbanístico y de salubridad que inciden directamente sobre los establecimientos de comercio donde se prestan servicios sexuales.

 [...]

Alemania y Holanda y al otro lado del mundo Nueva Zelanda, responden a un modelo avanzado de reglamentación, pues no sólo se incluye regulación en materia de salud pública, urbanismo, manejo del suelo y políticas de prevención de delitos próximos a la actividad, sino que también incluyen garantías y derechos para quienes ejercen el oficio[29].

Por ejemplo en Holanda, el empresario debe concertar un acuerdo laboral escrito, debe garantizar la seguridad del servicio en términos sanitarios, las localidades han de contar con oficinas para presentar quejas contra la administración de los negocios de esta índole. Infortunadamente, el paso a la formalidad, ha incentivado empero la clandestinidad pues las contribuciones y cargas que asume el empresario y el trabajador son mayores y en el plazo inmediato los ingresos de unos y otros se han reducido sustancialmente."

 Corte constitucinal  colombiana (2010).

  

 This last part is what everyone will plead to the regularization, but this happens not only in prostitution but in other businesses too. But when it is regularized, there is a window, an opportunity.

Another issue of the illegal procedure is the seriousness of crimes such as human trafficking and exploration and those should be persecuted, because they are against the will and safety of the victim. Unfortunately, prostitution has close links with these kinds of crimes.  In the Colombian Penal Code, a set of crimes can be recognized that are related, as mentioned before, especially crimes against freedom, integrity, and sexual development. 

For these kinds of crimes, let the full weight of the law and justice fall upon it. 

This vulnerability is why many people are against it as a kind of work as shown in this feminist sign:

This sign is a picture of an article that talks about the sexual worker's situation during the lockdown. It is heartbreaking how many women, not only sexual workers were confined with their aggressor.

Of course, I recognize the vulnerable situation that it is sexual work, but it would not be over, so let's offer an opportunity for them to have and claim rights.

Sexual workers also organized themselves to appear and have rights. An example is the first Sexual workers union in Colombia called Sintrasexco which in 2016, had 600 biological women in the union. And here comes another issue, and it is the genre. 

"Esto nos va a permitir defendernos del acoso de la Policía, que nos persigue en todo el país. Pero también estamos buscando el reconocimiento de nuestro sindicato, lo que nos va a permitir fortalecer las alianzas de apoyo con entes gubernamentales y no gubernamentales que comparten la idea de que se debe valorar nuestro trabajo, a la luz de la igualdad de derechos que establece la Constitución." Suarez,  Fidelia in El Tiempo, (2016)

In Colombia, there are also other unions, for example, Sintrasexa that include Sexual workers, women, and men in Antioquia. In the testimony of Valery P. Ramírez, the president of this union, it is important to highlight, that as a union, they also:

"Rejects the crimes of sexual explotation in boys, girls and teenagers.[...] We are also interested in articulated ourselves to located and persecute this bands. [...] Behind this work, we are also mothers, aunts, sisters" Ramírez, Valery (2024).

There are other examples like Red de Mujeres Trabajadoras Sexuales de Latinoamérica y El Caribe created in 1997 in which they claim: 

"La RedTraSex tiene por objeto la defensa, promoción, reconocimiento y respeto de los derechos humanos de las mujeres trabajadoras sexuales, en particular de sus derechos laborales." RedTraSex (n.d)

Also, unions and organization have united in an international alliance, like the case of:

 "The Alliance for Human Rights and the Inclusion of Sex Workers in LatinAmerica and the Caribbean demands an end to the criminalization of people who perform sex work and urges states to protect their human rights.

This Alliance seeks to visibilize sex workers, who are invisible in the eyes ofthe States, leaving them in with total lack of protection and in violation oftheir rights.

People who engage in sex work, mainly cis and trans women, are exposed to suffering a whole series of abuses against their Human Rights, such as sexualand physical violence, extortion, and discrimination, as well as torture andmurder."

Alliance for Human Rights and the Inclusion of Sex Workers in LatinAmerica and the Caribbean (n.d.)

In this case, they included not only cis but transgender women, as sexual workers who usually work in this kind of job.

As shown in these last cases, It is important, that they recognize themselves as humans, subjects to law, to be part of the system, and to be capable of demanding their rights, not be persecuted and/or exploded by anyone.

 

Bibliografía

Agencia EFE (2022). Más vulnerabilidad y abusos: la situación de la prostitución durante el confinamiento. Section Efemonista. Link: https://efeminista.com/prostitucion-confinamiento-mas-abusos-vulnerabilidad/

Alliance for Human Rights and the Inclusion of Sex Workers in Latin America and the Caribbean (n.d.). Adhesión a La Alianza por los Derechos Humanos y la Inclusión de las personas Trabajadoras Sexuales de Latinoamérica y El Caribe. Form to be included. Link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd1JNZZbK_3nnzlBmT-UFXKi6VDkM-OeFxpdo2PESvuJDpv3Q/viewform

BlueRadio (2024). “Aunque moleste, la prostitución mueve la economía del país”: Valery P. Ramírez, presidenta sindical. [Video]. Links: https://youtu.be/YY4Qc5pSz30?si=xFX9ThX_bAuNkAMr

Corte Contitucional Colombiana (2010). - Sentencia T-629/10. Link:  https://www.corteconstitucional.gov.co/relatoria/2010/t-629-10.htm 

RedTraSex (n.d), Nosotras. Red de Mujeres Trabajadoras Sexuales de Latinoamérica y El Caribe. Link: https://redtrasex.org/sobre-nosotras/

Suarez,  Fidelia in El Tiempo, (2016). Sintrasexco, el primer sindicato de prostitutas en Colombia. Redacción Política - El Tiempo. Links: https://www.eltiempo.com/archivo/documento/CMS-16578784 // https://redtrasex.org/sintrasexco-el-primer-sindicato-de-prostitutas-en-colombia/

Note for the teacher: The BlueRadio interview is awful. As a journalist, I identify his way of manipulating the discourse. This is because this radio station is conservative.