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Liv Jessen
Recipient of the first ever Human Rights Award from Amnesty
International for Prostitutes' Rights work:
“We do not think we can regulate ourselves out of prostitution
by passing new, more stringent laws. The burdens imposed by
restrictive changes in legislation will always be borne by the
people who sell sex.”
Petra Östergren,
Swedish Writer and Social Commentator www.petraostergren.com
“Most of the female Swedish sexworkers I have interviewed
voice a strong critique of their legal and social situation.
They feel discriminated against, endangered by the very laws
that seek to protect them, and they feel under severe emotional
stress as a result of the laws.”
“The National Police Board writes that the sexworkers that are
still in street prostitution have a tough time. This, they
explain, is because customers are fewer, prices are lower and
competition harder for the women. This leads to the sex workers
selling sex without protection of condoms for a higher rate, and
it leads to them having to accept more customers than before.”
“According to the National Police Board, the healthcare system
has worries about declining health among sex workers and
spreading sexually transmitted disease.”
“The National Police Board has also found the law an obstacle
to prosecuting profiteers who exploit the sexual labour of
others.”
“The respondents in the National Board of Health and Welfare's
study (of which none are sexworkers themselves) believe female
sexworkers now experience more difficulties and are more exposed
then before.”
“Sexworkers express anger about Swedish politicians who, in
their opinion, brag and tell lies about the effect of the new
law vis-à-vis other countries. They wish that other countries
might find out "the truth" about the effects of the
law. They also strongly discourage other countries from adopting
similar legislation.” |
International
Sex Workers Meeting
19th January 2002
(A session held at the EUROPAP/ENMP Conference
in Milton Keynes, UK )
Declared it "counterproductive and inhumane" |
