by C. Gwendolyn Landolt. November 6, 2014.
The new prostitution law, Bill C-36, passed the Senate on 4th of November, 2014. It will shortly receive Royal Assent and become law, on track to meet the deadline of December 19th, 2014 set by the Supreme Court of Canada last year when it struck down the previous prostitution law. Bill C-36 is a vast improvement over a law which the appointed, unaccountable, Supreme Court Judges wanted to put in place, namely: legalized brothels and pimps working disguised as “assistants” to prostitutes
This prostitution bill was passed without any changes, despite the shouting and screaming of those who want to see prostitution decriminalized. If the latter had had their way, Canada would have become a mecca for prostitutes, pimps and human sex trafficking – bringing disaster on all those involved, including Canadian society.
Although this prostitution bill is not perfect in that REAL Women would have preferred that all prostitution be prohibited entirely, it does provide more protection for prostitutes and protects children by prohibiting prostitution activities from taking place where children are present such as schools, playgrounds and daycare. It also makes the purchase of sexual services by “Johns” a criminal offence and criminalizes the activities of those who financially benefit from prostitution.
One of the great myths surrounding prostitution is that the activity can be made safe and that prostitutes can be protected from harm. This is a fantasy. Prostitution is inherently dangerous, no matter where it takes place, on the streets, in cars, in brothels, or by way of escort services because it always involves unpredictable, uncontrollable factors from which there can be no protection.
Although a handful of prostitutes arrogantly think they can operate with their own safety precautions in place and don’t need legislation to protect them, they are being egocentric and indifferent to the vulnerability of the vast majority of prostitutes. Harms to prostitutes include: High rates of post-traumatic stress disorder, ill health, rape, and physical and verbal abuse. According to the Fraser Committee (1985), the mortality rate for prostitutes is 40 times the national average. It is unlikely that this has improved over time.
Bill C-36 is a step in the right direction to protect both prostitutes and society.
Source: Media Release REAL Women of Canada