A recent preliminary report titled Opposing sexual exploitation of women:

November 26, 2013

An overview of access in three Ontario cities to sites for the sexual exploitation of women and girls was funded by the francophone agency Action onterienne contre la violence faite avec femmes. That organization's mandate is networking and training for front-line workers and creation of French language services to address partner violence and sexual assault.

It is a member of the Women's Coalition for the Abolition of Prostitution, which favours decriminalizing women in prostitution and maintaining criminalization of johns and pimps. The nine French language sexual assault centres in Ontario, including Centre Victoria Pour Femmes in Sudbury, were unanimously in agreement.

The three Ontario cities studied were Hawkesbury, downtown Toronto and Sudbury. Writer Caroline Montpetit interviewed frontline workers, police officers and directors of agencies that support women. It concluded that sexual exploitation is "very present" in Ontario. The author found 200 sites that are easily accessible where "the bodies of women and girls are bought and sold" in these three locations.

The findings for Sudbury included at least two strip clubs, eight escort agencies and five streets known for the presence of prostituted women. They didn't find advertised erotic massage parlors, although they identified in one day 10 advertisements by independent women escorts in local papers and on Internet sites. Front-line workers interviewed for the report hypothesized that the level of education and lack of job opportunities are factors that contribute to the presence of women in sexual exploitation system in Sudbury. They also indicated that some young women might enter prostitution to pay for education or to buy a vehicle.

In Sudbury the police offer Jane Diversion and John School. When women are arrested for solicitation the offer of Jane Diversion provides women with information on services to help them leave prostitution. If they attend the session the charges are withdrawn. "This approach is often criticized because women would need much more than a short info session in order to successfully leave prostitution." Men can attend John School at a cost of $500 and the charges are withdrawn. They are given information on the impact of prostitution on the community and on their own life. "Again, a few hours are not enough to modify the behavior of men who, conditioned by the societal inequalities, sexually exploit women."

The bulk of the work is changing public attitudes in addressing the belief that prostitution is just a consensual act between two adults. I agree with the conclusion that "violence against women is the power imbalance between men and women." It is impossible to say that prostitution is an equal service. The reality is that many women enter prostitution at a young age. One study (Farley et al.), which interviewed 100 prostitutes in Canada shows that clearly. "Fifty-four per cent said they entered prostitution before the age of 18; 84% reported being sexually abused as a child; 86% had been or were homeless and 95% wanted to leave prostitution."

If women and girls are entering prostitution because of poverty, a history of abuse or coercion, I agree with the report's conclusion that this is a "non choice." And until we implement the recommendations that came out of this report -which include programs to assist women leaving prostitution, a large scale awareness program and prevention programs -we will continue to be looking at ways to address the issues of prostitution and the damage it does to women and girls. Clearly the way we are addressing it now is not the answer.