A while back, I sent my friends in Macedonia the following questions about issues of Sex Work and Human Trafficking. Borce (an activist and organizer from STAR), collaborated with Katerina of HOPS, (Healthy Options Project Skopje, an NGO providing a drop-in space, medical services and more for Sex workers) to answer the questions. I just got word from Katerina that there have been massive police raids of the open scene, or the street based sex worker scene, over the past several days. She will be sending me more information on it, which I will share here.
1) Is there a difference between sex work and human trafficking? Please explain.
There is a big difference between sex work and human trafficking. Sex work, first of all, is a type of work. Trafficking on the other hand, is a type of migration. Sex work is voluntary work where sex workers are making decisions about the the type of sex work, frequency of work, about the prices of their services and it is type of free will and personal choice . Human trafficking is the recruitment, transportation, harboring, or receipt of people for the purposes of slavery, forced labor (including bonded labor or debt bondage) and servitude. It means breaking the basic human rights.
2) If prostitution were to be decriminalized, would it make it easier for human trafficking to occur? Why or why not?
No it wouldn’t. We believe that it would make easier the war against human trafficking. If sex work is decriminalized it means involving the elimination of state regulations that are more repressive than those imposed on other workers and businesses, such as the right to recognition and protection under labour and employment laws. Also this will reduce stigma against sex workers, which will make sex workers less vulnerable for human trafficking.
3) How would decriminalization of prostitution affect sex workers?
Decriminalizing prostitution would not only reinforce the right to earn a living but it would support the fight against sexually-transmitted diseases and the AIDS epidemic. With decriminalization, sex workers will have the avenues to redress when their rights are violated. By decriminalizing sex work, sex workers will have access to legal recourse in the case of abuse by client or police. They will have access to social services including health benefits, unemployment and retirement plans. They will have human rights protection, including the right to choose the career of their choice.
The society will also benefit from decriminalization, because:
Society will be more just, with everyone, including sex workers, enjoying their human rights.
The corruption in police and judiciary would be decreased. And we all will live in less hypocritical society.
Borce, activist and organizer with STAR, an activist group working on Sex Worker issues in Skopje, Macedonia
[Read more about Borce and STAR here: http://wendyvinaigrette.wordpress.com/2008/10/24/star-sex-worker-organizing-group-in-skopje-macedonia/
Katerina of Healthy Options Project Skopje (HOPS) an NGO providing services to sex workers in Skopje, Macedonia
Read more about Katerina and HOPS here:http://wendyvinaigrette.wordpress.com/2008/10/24/hops-skopje-macedonia/]
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