Sex Work: An Experiential Perspective

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Sex WorkAn Experiential Perspective

• October 18, 2006
• London, Ontario

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Thoughts To Consider

• The significant problems we face cannot be
  solved at the same level of thinking we were at
  when we created them
• The world is a dangerous place to live, not just
  because of the evil people in it, but because of
  the people who do nothing about it.

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4 Categories of the Sex Trade

•     

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Forming A Group

• Formation of group that includes experiential and
  community supporters
• From all parts of the harm reduction and
  legislation spectrum
• Everyone has a personal stake in this, both as an
  advocate and as a woman
• Listening and respect for each other despite
  differences was achieved
• All of the members felt that the work they do in
  their own communities across Canada has been
  helped by membership in the Coalition

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CNCEW Mission

• CNCEW commits to the improvement of the living
  and working conditions of women in and from sex
  work
• CNCEW supports diversity and inclusion of
  dialogue that does not promote harm to those
  active in and from sex work
• CNCEW opposes models of enforcement or
  rehabilitation that promote the continued
  criminalization or harm of women in and from sex
  work
• Gratefully funded by Status of Women Canada

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CNCEW Goals

• To facilitate the involvement of women in and
  from sex work on issues of direct impact
• To provide opportunities for women to communicate
  their ideas directly to legislators, policy
  makers, and public towards the improvement of
  living and working conditions
• To combat conditions of violence, abuse,
  exploitation, slavery and coercion related to sex
  work

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Representation

• We represent women from all areas of sex work
• Street level sex work
• Escorts agencies and independent
• Massage Parlor workers
• Trafficked women
• Exotic entertainers
• Adult film workers
• Adult phone sex workers

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Demographics of Members

• Women from all areas of sex work
• Ages range from 20 50 years old
• 160 years combined experience in sex work
• 120 years combined experience working as
  advocates
• All women are activists in their own communities
• Extremely passionate and actively involved in all
  issues surrounding the sex industry

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What have we done so far?

• Held four national meetings
• Developed statements in seven key areas
• Conducted research in these key areas
• Full day conference in Edmonton, Alberta
• Testified at a private Senate Committee hearing
  before members of many Federal Government
  departments on Parliament Hill

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Seven Key Priorities of Action

• Occupational Health and Safety
• Violence Against Women Working in the Sex
  Industry
• Addiction Services
• Law Reform
• Public Awareness and Education
• Social Justice
• Sexual Exploitation of Children and Youth

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Occupational Health and Safety

• Exotic dance, massage and escort agencies are
  licensed by the city and as businesses are
  subject to labour laws
• Improper care and control of the enterprises can
  lead to injury and diseases
• Existing health and safety, labour and municipal
  by-laws should be enforced by the appropriate
  agencies

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Occupational Health and Safety

• As with any other occupation, workers in these
  establishments should have the following rights
• Refuse unsafe work
• Education on potential job-related risks
• Participation in joint health and safety
  committees with industry owners
• Workers should also be
• INFORMED OF THESE RIGHTS

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Violence Against Women

• Law enforcement must begin to take reports of
  violence against sex workers seriously
• Ability for sex workers to report bad dates
  anonymously
• Prosecution of violent offenders
• National DNA databank of those convicted with
  violence against sex workers
• Training of experiential women in victim service
  roles

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Addiction Treatment Services

• Removal of barriers to treatment, including long
  wait lists, childcare accessibility, and
  unrealistic expectations
• Sex work-specific treatment centres
• Recognition that sex work in and of itself can be
  an addiction for some
• Aftercare and follow-up provided by sex
  worker-specific agencies across Canada

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Law Reform

• Removal of common bawdy house laws
• Removal of solicitation laws
• End the deportation of trafficked women being
  dependent on police cooperation against
  traffickers
• Access to employment insurance, workers
  compensation and re-training in the same way as
  other workers
• Removal of policies that are punitive based only
  on status as a sex worker
• Fair and equitable licensing fees

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Public Awareness and Education

• Media
• Use of appropriate images and language
• Public Education
• Culturally sensitive sessions
• Research
• Sex worker-friendly research
• Consultations with sex workers
• Training
• Sex workers as consultants and researchers

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Social Justice

• Train and hire experiential women to design and
  implement programs and services
• Removal of barriers to services
• Stable core funding for programs
• Continuum of services
• Access to educational opportunities
• Safe and affordable housing

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Sexual Exploitation of Children and Youth

• The Federal Government of Canada must take a
  leadership role to ensure that the age of consent
  law is raised from 14 to 16 years of age
• Each province has the means to provide
  appropriate and accessible services, including
  treatment, emergency shelter, healing and exiting
  programs and outreach services for children and
  youth who have been sexually exploited
• More resources and strategies are needed to
  prevent children and youth from being exploited.
  CNCEW is currently working with the Federal
  Government of Canada to bring harsher punishments
  to the perpetrators who sexually exploit children
  and youth

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We are the Experts

• The experiential voice is mandatory when
  implementing and developing programs and services
• We can provide useful resources and deliver
  powerful messages to key stakeholders, policy
  makers and government officials
• When our voices and experiences are inserted into
  public policy, realistic solutions can be
  achieved -- reducing the stigma, one attitude at
  a time

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Response to Sex Work

• Criminalization
• (Criminal Code)
• Legalization
• (Municipal Bylaws)
• Swedish Model
• (Both Criminalization Legalization)
• Decriminalization
• (Provincial Labour Laws)
• Not here yet!

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Canadian Criminal Code S 210

• 210. (1) Every one who keeps a common
  bawdy-house is guilty of an indictable offence
  and liable to imprisonment for a term not
  exceeding two years.
• (2) Every one who
• (a) is an inmate of a common bawdy-house,
• (b) is found, without lawful excuse, in a common
  bawdy-house, or
• (c) as owner, landlord, lessor, tenant,
  occupier, agent or otherwise having charge or
  control of any place, knowingly permits the place
  or any part thereof to be let or used for the
  purposes of a common bawdy-house,
• is guilty of an offence punishable on summary
  conviction.

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Canadian Criminal Code S 213

• 213. (1) Every person who in a public place or
  in any place open to public view
• (a) stops or attempts to stop any motor vehicle,
• (b) impedes the free flow of pedestrian or
  vehicular traffic or ingress to or egress from
  premises adjacent to that place, or
• (c) stops or attempts to stop any person or in
  any manner communicates or attempts to
  communicate with any person
• for the purpose of engaging in prostitution or
  of obtaining the sexual services of a prostitute
  is guilty of an offence punishable on summary
  conviction.
• (2) In this section, public place includes any
  place to which the public have access as of right
  or by invitation, express or implied, and any
  motor vehicle located in a public place or in any
  place open to public view.

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The Outcome of S. 213 Murder

• 86 sex workers were murdered from 1992 to 1998
• 56 (65) of the murders committed were by clients
• 18 sex workers were murdered in 2004
• 54 of cases reported between 1991 and 1995
  remained unsolved (34 incidents) compared to only
  20 of non sex worker murders (as of 1996)
• 90 women missing/murdered from Vancouver

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Municipal Bylaws

• Licenses
• Criminal Record Checks Photo ID Cards
• Fines
• Health Checks
• Fees I.E. Winnipegs Licensing Fees
• Massage Parlours Escort Agencys 4000
• Shooting Gallery 460

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Provincial Labour Laws

• Provincial Labour Laws are not applied to sex
  workers. For example
• Occupational Health Safety Act
• Employment Standards Act
• Labour Relations Act
• Pay Equity Act

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Human Rights

• Why is Canada regulating the labour of sex
  workers under the Canadian Criminal Code and
  municipal bylaws?
• Sex workers should have the same rights as other
  workers.
• Not applying criminal code (as protection) or
  labour laws or treating sex workers as workers is
  a human right violation.

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CCC Enforcement Tax Payers Dollars

• There were 6493 prostitution related offences in
  2004
• It costs 50 005 to incarcerate 1 person for 1
  year at the (cheaper) provincial rate
• Therefore, to incarcerate every person charged
  for a period of one year (1/2 of the maximum time
  for communicating) it would cost taxpayers 324
  682 465 A YEAR!!!
• Over a million dollars per riding! In addition to
  the cost of policing courts murder
  investigations (18 for 2004 alone) violent
  crimes against sex workers and all other offences
  related to sex work!

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Recommendations

• With respect to sex workers, the immediate
  removal of S. 210 (bawdy house) S. 213
  (communicating) from the Canadian Criminal Code.
• Consult with sex workers when reviewing any law
  relating to prostitution, trafficking,
  immigration, migration and living off the avails
  of prostitution.
• Provide sex workers with a safe worksite. Sex
  work is not illegal in Canada and very human
  being has a right to safe place to work. Denying
  a person a safe place to work is a human rights
  violation.
• Listen to our voices we are the experts and we
  know what is best for us.

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Concluding Questions 1

• The significant problems we face cannot be
  solved at the same level of thinking we were at
  when we created them
• - Albert Einstein
• Where is your level of thinking at now?

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Concluding Questions 2

• The world is a dangerous place to live, not just
  because of the evil people in it, but because of
  the people who do nothing about it.
• - Albert Einstein
• What are you going to do about it now?