On the other hand, by legitimizing restitution, would society reverse decades of work to promote human rights and help women become more involved in society? One might say, this is just is just an argument our society brings up over and over again and never resolves. However, it is not. Rather than focus on morality, now the question asked should be: is prostitution a form of exploitation to be put an end to or an occupation to be regulated? Personally, I don’t know why prostitution isn’t legal, other than for some moral reason. It’s something you cannot get rid of, so I think prostitution should be legalized. Live that if a male or male decides to sell her body in a sexual or erotic manner then that is their business. Granted, I do not find prostitution a decent profession, nor would I ever consider it, but think it is a decision that should be made by the individual. I will argue in this paper that by decontaminating prostitution, prostitution can be seen as an occupation, laws would protect prostitutes, and finally health concerns would be regulated. For decades, researchers have speculated why women would go freely into prostitution.
Latent lesbianism, low intelligence, a home life of abuse, and desperate poverty are n the top of the list of possible reasons. Nevertheless, no one has been TABLE to isolate a specific set of social factors that leads to prostitution. “But, many women enter the sex work from a variety of castes and for a range of reasons. Some are abandoned by their families, some are beaten by their husbands, and some are widows” (Ganglion 2007). Current articles about prostitutes and new scientific studies have been shown through, How Indian feminist engage with prostitution, to conclude that prostitution is, “just another occupation” (Ganglion 2007).
If in fact, prostitution is looked upon as n occupation, then why not create a win-win situation for the women. Some believe “like any other occupation, sex-work too is an occupation and not a moral condition. If it is one of the ‘oldest’ professions in the world, it is because prostitution must have continued to meet an important and consistent social demand. But the word ‘prostitute’ is rarely used to refer to an occupational group of women who earn their livelihood through providing sexual services” (Ganglion 2007).
The DMS, Durbar Manila Santayana Committee, believes prostitution is a career choice for social and economic seasons (Ganglion 2007). Prostitutes would contribute economically to society and would have in return rights to health benefits and retirement would be ensured. Prostitutes should pay regular taxes on the same terms of other working people and employees, and with that receive the same benefits as them. As well as being TABLE to contribute to society, prostitutes will be safer following the rules of the law. One argument against prostitution is that women and children are forced into the sex trade or they are kidnapped.
This can be true, especially in Asia and other third world countries, “women ND girls are taken across borders and sold into brothels and into sex-work without them knowing or their consent’ (Josh pig. 242). It should be noted; however, that most prostitutes do not consider themselves to be victims and claim to freely choose prostitution as their occupation. In the article Immorality, Hurt or Choice, the author recognizes India and their focus has been on harm, coercion and victimized, especially on child prostitution (Ganglion 2007).
More serious crimes, such as child prostitution, are harder to supervise in the general case of criminality. Prostitution of children is definitely a violation of rights because it shows the child sexual activity when they are lacking physical and mental maturity (Ganglion 2007). Prostitutes find it almost impossible to press their cases on abuse and other cases because of their vulnerability to prosecution and because of their lack of resources. If they do press their case about abuse or something else, it is doubtful that they will be believed. For instance, it is often said a prostitute cannot be raped.
Legalization would also allow officials to give up the untrue ideas of upholding anti-prostitution laws, bring more safety, legitimacy, and autonomy to the industry as a whole. Laws would distinguish between voluntary and forced prostitution. Empowerment of prostitutes holds the greatest promise of the prevention of the spread of AIDS and venereal diseases. From the health point of view, it is surely self-evident that an open sex industry, in which workers are not stigmatize and outlawed, would be to the benefit of all concerned, both prostitutes and clients. Countries like India could and should provide health facilities for sex workers.
In the section, “The Daughters f Hellman,” we see that people with the disease have no hope for themselves. Saver’s brother has AIDS and has totally given up on life. Xavier says, “My brother is totally bedridden now. He has fevers and diarrhea. He used to be such a handsome man, with a fine face and large eyes. Now those eyes are closed and his face is covered in boils and lesions” (Dallier pig. 220). Having AIDS for these people is life ending and the person ultimately gives up. These women should have a place to go if they have this disease. In Nepal, they have the option of rehabilitation.
Rehabilitation within Nepal has focused on an education, counseling and safe home. Rehabilitation has also focused on encouraging women to be financially self- sustaining by teaching them income- generating skills, and providing women with information about personal health care and disease prevention” (Josh 2004). In Nevada, prostitutes are required to register with the state. These prostitutes are required to appear twice a week at a special clinic to be examined for venereal diseases. This health supervision and care of prostitutes, including hospitalizing when necessary, is brought about entirely by the state.
Although some rules the prostitutes have to endure are excessive, such as not being TABLE to go into town during the week and not being allowed to have relationships with anyone outside of the brothel, Nevada has done a better job than most to control prostitution. The Bombay-based, Sashays Trust Nair Gangs, feels as if prostitution is necessary and preserves the family and prevents rape (Ganglion 2007). A social worker with this group has quoted, “if prostitutes are unhealthy, they will infect our children, the young boys who go to them for gratification. Prostitutes prevent women from good families from eating raped.
If prostitutes were not there, women would not be TABLE to walk on the road. Unmarried young men would attack any woman on the road. In fact in my Opinion, prostitutes are next Only to mothers and should be treated with respect” (Ganglion 2007). The current system, where prostitution is withdrawn but not substantially punished, is clearly not working. Society should learn from other countries that have decentralized adult sex work, yet resist street prostitution. Countries, such as Thailand, have shown that decentralization and even legitimated prostitution can work ender specific circumstances.
State regulation has reduced prostitution related crime and venereal diseases, and it has even increased state revenues, as prostitutes and brothels have to pay income taxes. Along with health conditions, prostitutes are also treated with violence by their brothel owners. Prostitution has much in common with other kinds of violence against women. What incest is to the family, prostitution is seen to the community. Prostitution is widely socially tolerated and its consumers are socially invisible. Clearly, violence is the norm for women in prostitution.
Incest, sexual harassment, verbal abuse, stalking, rape, battering, and torture are points on a variety of violence, all of which occur regularly in prostitution. A difference between prostitution and other types of gender violence is the payment of money for the abuse. Yet payment of money does not erase all that know about sexual harassment, rape and domestic violence. If we were to legalize prostitution this would enTABLE prostitutes to prosecute for abuses against their brothel owners. This would then be considered the prostitutes choice in society and would no longer be considered a crime cause it is legal.
An experiment of legalization or decentralization is worth the risk; however, regulation would be necessary. It is important to stress that prostitution legislation improvement needs to go hand and hand with other social policy improvements, including the female poverty problem and child welfare. Unfortunately, the fact remains that a politician’s support for the legalization or decentralization of prostitution would be political suicide. Public opinion does not go well for any politician who is perceived to be soft on crime, much less someone that is a supporter of prostitution.
One can only hope that political courage and public education will allow improvements to occur. The benefits to both the prostitute and society are hard to ignore. By the legalization and decentralization of prostitution, the life of sex workers will be greatly improved, because legal workers are more TABLE to resist exploitation and to report offenses committed against them. They will be TABLE to access health, welfare and legal resources. Society will have a greater say in their health habits and regulation will be possible. Society as a whole will be safer.
