VedaSloan 119179 Report post Posted January 22, 2009 I recently became associated with the group POWER (Prostitutes of Ottawa/Gatineau Work Educate Resist) and I wanted to post their fact sheet regarding sex work. POWER?S 1 SEX WORK FACT SHEET: History of Prostitution in Ottawa Prostitution, escorts, dancers, and street sex workers have long been a part of life in Ottawa. Street sex workers, more specifically, have peacefully co-existed with the working class inhabitants of the Byward Market for over 150 years. Interests began competing more explicitly only in the early 1980s when, in a process of urban renewal, upwardly-mobile citizens began purchasing property in this centrally-located area. These new residents brought with them cultural, political and economic capital that allowed them to redefine the neighbourhood. Concerted efforts culminated in a number of initiatives that worked to the determent of sex workers and rendered them more vulnerable to violence. Among other things workers were displaced to dimly lit and sparsely inhabited areas as well as moving to new strolls in Vanier and Hintonburg. This also increased the level of violence experienced by street sex workers. Legal Context Although prostitution itself (the exchange of sexual services for financial compensation) is not illegal in Canada, the Canadian Criminal Code prohibits the public solicitation of business (?communicating?), the management and use of regular work sites (?bawdy houses), and any other managerial or partnered activity (?procuring?). Essentially, in order to work in the sex industry legally, one needs to work in complete isolation and silence. Sex workers are currently required to work under such circumstances if they wish to avoid arrest and incarceration. Needless to say, most workers are unable to meet these requirements. Unlike other cities such as Toronto and Montreal where the police attempt to foster open communication with sex workers and their organizations, the Ottawa Police Services has rejected this in favor of punitive reactionary initiatives. Most notably, a new nine-person unit focused on street crimes (including prostitution) was established on November 19, 2007 and to date and continues to target street based sex workers. Equally troubling is a problematic initiative whereby owners of vehicles that appear to be ?visiting neighbourhoods for solicitation? and are seen speaking to a ?known prostitute? receive a ?community safety letter? in the mail. Not only does this approach undermine worker safety but it raises serious concerns about civil liberties 1. One would think that a nine-person unit would increase the level of attention sex workers would receive when they, themselves, are victims of crime. However, the Ottawa Police Service has a dismal record when it comes to protecting sex workers or defending their rights. In a 2006 study 2, Ottawa street sex workers spoke of violence at the hands of police as well as a consistent failure of the police to attend to their victimization. Moreover the Ottawa Police Services are actively engaged in disseminating misinformation, such as the assertion that sex workers are responsible for the spread of STIs, including HIV.2 Falsehoods such as these feed police apathy about violence against sex workers. Our Canadian government has admitted to the need to reform prostitution law, and based on experiences all over Canada of police abuse of sex workers, its time to make a change and for Ottawa police not only to be accountable for their mistreatment of sex workers, but to stand in line for calls to repeal current legislative systems that abuse, disrespect, and deny sex workers? of their fundamental rights to freedom, dignity, and respect. Demands: More police protection and less police harassment of sex workers; Sex workers? access to health, social and legal services without discrimination; Government sponsored education campaigns to reduce stigma and resulting violence and discrimination against sex workers; Recourse and due process for sex workers who are victims of crime; Equal social, human, and labour rights as any other worker in Canada; True partnership and consultation with sex worker communities when it comes to policies that involve us; The removal of laws against prostitution that put sex workers in danger Sections 210-213 from the Canadian Criminal Code (inclusive). 10 MYTHS AND MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT SEX WORK Myth #1: Sex workers are responsible for the spread of HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C and STIs Fact: All people who are sexually active can be vulnerable to HIV infection, depending on the precautions they may or may not take when they are engaging in sex. Most sex workers protect themselves against HIV infection at work, because they need to preserve their bodies so that they may continue to work. Sex workers have also, historically, been organizing around their rights to access to non-discriminatory healthcare and have been instrumental in ensuring sex workers? health and safety when on the job. Where HIV rates are high amongst sex workers in other countries, sex workers experience higher rates of police repression. Police repression and criminalization augment the risk for HIV infection. Myth #2: Sex work is illegal in Canada Fact: The exchange of sexual services for compensation, financial or otherwise, is not and has never been illegal in Canada. There are, however, laws against communicating for the purposes of prostitution (CCC. Section 213); working indoors (the bawdy house provisions (CCC. Section 210); and against working collectively (provisions against procuring and living off the avails of prostitution, CCC. Section 212). These laws effectively undermine workers? ability to work safely and securely (see why decriminalize, this handout). Myth #3 Sex workers are drug addicts Fact: As is the case with the Canadian population in general some sex workers use illicit substances; however, there is considerable variability by gender, industry sector, and region. The assertion that the majority of sex workers are drug addicts is not empirically substantiated. 3 Myth #4: Sex workers are women Fact: While the majority of the people working within the sex industry are women, all sex workers, including male, transsexual, and female sex workers are, in fact, criminalized. Female and male-to-female (MTF) transsexuals are at most risk of police repression due to their marginalization. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VedaSloan 119179 Report post Posted January 22, 2009 Myth #6: Most sex work occurs on the street Fact: Street work accounts for 5 ? 20% of sex work. This sector is disproportionably targeted by the public and by the police in 2007? 94% of all Criminal Code charges are against street workers and their clients. 7 Because street sex workers are the most visible, they are also most at risk of being targeted for violence by aggressors and the community. Myth #7: Sex workers are controlled by pimps Fact: Stereotypes portray the pimp as a man who controls a sex worker?s work and income. The 2007 report of the Parliamentary Subcommittee on Soliciting concluded, however, that most sex workers are independent workers who are neither coerced nor tricked into the industry. Some sex workers choose to work and associate with other colleagues to share resources, such as a workplace. Others prefer to work for employers who can give them a more fixed schedule. The current laws around pimping prevent sex workers from working in groups, or from working with other people for protection. It forces isolation on sex workers. Myth #8: Sex work is exploitation Fact: Exploitation exists because there are no labour standards to protect sex workers. Sex work is frequently characterized by occasional, part-time and sporadic, and autonomous engagement. 8. In reality sex workers are not in need of salvation but rather occupational health and safety standards that would allow them recourse under Provincial Labour Law and the opportunity to better sex workers? working conditions. Myth #9: Criminalizing clients is an appropriate solution to the ?problem? Fact: Most customers are respectful and considerate consumers of the services offered by adult sex workers. Many have authentic relationships that last for months or years with the worker providing them with services. As the experience in Sweden has shown, criminalizing clients increases the danger to sex workers and undermines the ability of workers to implement security measures. 9 Myth #10: Sex workers are criminals and therefore forfeit the rights and privileges of citizens Fact: Sex workers retain all the rights as citizens. In principle this means that, like everyone else in Canada, sex workers are guaranteed freedom of expression; freedom of association; the right to life, liberty and security; the right to be presumed innocent until found guilty; and the right to equality. Sex workers, like all citizens (again in principle) enjoy a series of entitlements under international human rights laws. In addition to the aforementioned these include ? the right to freely choose a job; fair and safe labour conditions; social security; and an adequate standard of living. 10 In practice sex workers? realization of these rights are undermined by the Canadian Criminal Code, policing practices, and community anti-prostitution initiatives. References and Further Information 1 POWER (Prostitutes of Ottawa-Gatineau, Work, Educate and Resist) was formed on February 18th 2008 1 http://www.ottawapolice.ca/en/crime_prevention/safety-letters/pdf/Community%20safety%20 letter-sample _Eng.pdf 2 Bruckert, C, C. Parent; D. Pouliot (2006) How to Respond to the Needs of Street Sex Workers in the Ottawa-Gatineau Region Ottawa: Status of Women Canada ; see for a discussion of police violence in Vancouver Pivot (?) Voices for Dignity: A call to end the harms caused by Canada?s sex trade laws Vancouver: PIVOT 3 Shaver, F. (2005) Presentation to Parliamentary Subcommittee on Solicitation Ottawa: February 7, 2005; Benoit, C; A. Millar (2001). Working Conditions, Health Status, and Exiting Experiences of Sex Workers. British Columbia, Canada: PEERS Prostitutes, Education, Empowerment and Resource Society, 4 Statistics Canada (2006) Measuring Violence Against Women Ottawa: Statistics Canada 5 Lowman, J; L. Fraser, L.(1996) Violence Against Persons Who Prostitute: The Experience in British Columbia. Technical Report No. TR1996-14e. Ottawa: Department of Justice Canada. 6 Lowman, J (2000) ?Violence and the Outlaw Status of (Street) Prostitution? Violence Against Women 6, 9 7 Duchesne, D. (1996) Street Prostitution in Canada Ottawa: Statistics Canada 8 Bruckert, C, C. Parent; D. Pouliot (2006) How to Respond to the Needs of Street Sex Workers in the Ottawa-Gatineau Region Ottawa: Status of Women Canada 9 Norwegian Working Group (2004) Purchasing Sexual Services in Sweden and the Netherlands 10 Sex, work, rights: Changing Canada?s Criminal laws to protect sex workers? health and human rights (2005) Toronto: Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VedaSloan 119179 Report post Posted January 22, 2009 This one wouldn't fit! Myth #5: Sex work is violence Fact: Though violence is not inherent to the sex industry, Canadian sex workers do experience extremely high rates of physical, sexual and economic exploitation and violence. According to a 2006 Statistics Canada report, 171 female sex workers had been killed between 1991 and 2004 and 45% of these homicides which remained unsolved. The authors noted that ?violence against sex workers often goes unnoticed?. 4 Violence is most prevalent among the over-policed, under-protected and highly marginalized street sex workers who are 60 ? 120 times more likely to be victims of fatal violence then any other workers.5 Importantly, as the low rates of violence in countries where sex work is decriminalized attests, the danger is not inherent to the work but a function of the legal context and enforcement practices that render workers vulnerable. This is evidenced by the exponential increase in fatal violence after the 1985 enactment of Criminal Code section 213.6 We should never forget that many of Vancouver?s Missing Women were murdered as a result of inadequate police response, public indifference and a legal/policing context that renders sex workers vulnerable. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
etasman2000 15994 Report post Posted January 22, 2009 Mod, Please, is it possible to make these 3 threads sticky/permanent ? Many thanks Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest i***k*** Report post Posted January 22, 2009 Great reading Erin thanks! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
esoterica 624 Report post Posted January 22, 2009 Great reading Erin thanks! Agreed. Erin, your thoughtfulness and insight is to be thanked. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Emma Alexandra 123368 Report post Posted January 22, 2009 i agree with the boys Erin....thanks for sharing... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
d*mm*y 887 Report post Posted January 22, 2009 Not sure if the link did not copy correctly or is just a broken link, but I just get a sort of wishy washy could be an error page from the boys in blue Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
d*mm*y 887 Report post Posted January 22, 2009 It is a good read and it would be good to have it all together, is there a link to this on a web site or something? the sticky could work in a pinch however it would imply support for this group and I know nothing about them although from this document they are clearly friends of mine. Sounds like they need a PR team :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jay-423 100 Report post Posted January 22, 2009 Yes Indeed, Erin! Thank you for this. It is an important read and I appreciated that you put it up here. Regards, Jay-423 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
whatsup 11893 Report post Posted January 22, 2009 Erin thank you for a very interesting read and Dummpy you could do the PR work and it would be nice to have all articles together as a sticky Mod. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
YoungStud 468 Report post Posted January 23, 2009 Thanks, Erin, but it's a fuck of a lot of fine print, eh? ;-) Still, I read it and it's good stuff. ;-) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VedaSloan 119179 Report post Posted January 23, 2009 I can't help you out with the link. I just copied and pasted what was sent to me. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VedaSloan 119179 Report post Posted January 23, 2009 I have the original document saved, if anyone would like me to email it to them. Also, POWER is a relatively new group formed by former and current sex workers and those who support them. Their aims are to amend Canadian laws regarding sex work, raise awareness that sex work is a legitimate enterprise that makes a valuable contribution to society, and end all forms of oppression for sex workers including racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, etc. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
etasman2000 15994 Report post Posted January 23, 2009 (edited) I can't help you out with the link. I just copied and pasted what was sent to me. http://www.ottawapolice.ca/en/crime_prevention/safety-letters/pdf/Community%20safety%20letter-sample_Eng.pdf if the link above doesn't work then its the Forum parsing the link incorrectly. if you search for "community safety letter" in the Ottawa Police Services Search its around the 3rd search item. [Edit: Thanks Mod for making this thread sticky] Edited January 23, 2009 by etasman2000 Adding appreciation Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
