Canada’s progressive prostitution laws target pimps and sex-buyers but not prostituted women.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OCTOBER 3, 2018
[VANCOUVER] International Day of No Prostitution on Friday, October 5 marks our shared accomplishment of winning Canadian laws that decriminalize prostituted women. It is especially significant that the law, which came into effect December 5, 2014 specifically recognize that women’s inequality makes women vulnerable to recruitment into the sex industry and that prostitution is inherently violent. Trafficking, pimping, buying sex, and advertising another person for sex remain criminalized.
The Canadian law is modeled on law first adopted by pro-feminist governments in Sweden and Norway. It is commonly called the “Nordic model”. Canada joined a growing number of countries to adopt the model including Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Finland, Northern Ireland, and France. Research on the long-term impact of the Nordic model in Sweden found an improvement in the status of women, much lowered demand for paid sex, and significantly less human trafficking activity than in neighboring countries.
Asian Women for Equality Society
EVE (formerly Exploited Voices now Educating)
Joy Smith Foundation
Resist Exploitation Embrace Dignity (REED)
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver
S.U.C.C.E.S.S.
University Women’s Club of Vancouver
