• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

BC Association of Specialized Victim Assistance & Counselling Programs Issue 2006-02 728-602 West Hastings Street Vancouver BC V6B 1P2 Tel 604.633.2506 Fax 604.633.2507 www.endingviolence.org SUPPORTING SEX WORKERS: A KEY ISSUE FOR BC ANTI-VIOLENCE PROGRAMS Sex work is a crucial factor affecting and that the average age of children women’s safety in this province. entering into the sex trade is 13-25 Many workers in the programs we (Trafficking in Children, Abei). support—CBVAP, STV Counselling • Women and girls enter the sex trade and Sex Assault programs and for money, food, shelter, protection violence against women coordination and/or drugs. initiatives—work with women who • Women and girls are more likely to are currently working in the sex trade enter the sex trade when they lack or who have in the past. In this alternative ways to earn a living or newsletter we outline some of the meet basic survival needs. many aspects of this issue, highlight some innovative projects and list • Homelessness, drug addiction and some of the resources and services a history of sexual abuse increase the available. We hope that this will prove Money Girl by Cheryl Ann Winsor likelihood that a woman or girl will helpful in your ongoing work to keep From Stories from the Margin, a booklet enter the sex trade, and also make it of sex workers’ art and writing produced more difficult for her to leave. all women as safe as possible! by Victoria PEERS. • Some adult women experience sex Sex Work in BC work as exploitative and abusive; A number of articles have been written on percentage work on the street others feel more empowered. This the sex trade in Canada and BC (see Sex (Beyond Decriminalization, Pivot). depends on their access to resources Work Resources page 14). Some basic • Many sex workers start out as and ability to keep safe. facts about women sex workers include: teenagers. Stats Canada estimates • Most sex workers in Canada that 10-15% of street sex workers are work as independent escorts or in under 18, that 20% of Aboriginal massage parlours; only a small children are involved in the sex trade continued on Page 3 INSIDE THIS ISSUE Supporting Sex Workers_ pg.1 Legislation and Attitudes Put Sex Workers at Risk_ pg.5 Families of Missing and Murdered Women_ pg.11 Sex Work Resources_ pg.14 …and more in this special theme issue of the newsletter NEWSLETTER OF THE BCASVACP / FALL 2006 BC Association of Specialized Victim Assistance and Counselling Programs 728-602 West Hastings Street Message from the Director Vancouver, BC V6B 1P2 We at the Association are so proud of the amazing work that Phone: 604-633-2506 Community-Based Victim Assistance, Stopping the Violence Fax: 604-633-2507 Counselling, Sexual Assault and Outreach programs are Toll-free for members only: doing across the province. We know that one of the things you 1-877-633-2505 do is provide support to women who are active in or who have [email protected] exited the sex trade. This issue of the newsletter is focused on www.endingviolence.org sex work and violence against women. The Association and others have been working hard for many Editor years to provide information to the police and others in the system Sarah Leavitt about the increased risk of violence for women in the sex trade, Layout and Design Aboriginal women, women of colour, immigrant and refugee Britt Permien women, poor women and others. As you know, marginalized women are less likely to come forward and less likely to report Contributors to this issue are: to the police. Women fear judgement, blame and harmful Staff of BC Association of Specialized Victim Assistance and actions by the state based on stereotypes that are still to this day Counselling Programs; Staff of Ministry of Community Services and Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor alive in the minds of many in our communities. General; Staff of Legal Services Society; Janet Freeman, We and the programs we support have been working to Legal Services Society; Jody Paterson, Victoria collaborate our efforts with the police and Crown, corrections Prostitutes Empowerment, Education and Resource and child protection. We have been doing this because all the Society; Lurind Juneaux, South Peace Community state programs need to work closely together with those who Resources Society, Christal Capostinsky, New Hope Society. know women in this trade, who work with them, and who Thanks to Nythalah Baker, Amanda Bonella, Dawn speak for those who cannot. Legislation, policy and programs Clark, Amber Hartley, Marilynne Johnny, Lurind need to be built with real substantive involvement of the Juneaux, Angela MacDougall, Barb Mallet, Michelle people who understand the issues. Novakowski, Norma Parr, Jody Patterson. We all need a mandate and support for this kind of coordination, to engage in cross sectoral collaboration, to work together to This newsletter is produced three times a year and provided free of understand better what women need, how to provide more charge to BCASVACP members. The views expressed by newslet- ter contributors do not necessarily reflect those of the BCASVACP and improved supports and how best to provide women with Board and/or staff. Please contribute updates, articles, photos, etc more choices that will ultimately result in increased safety by mail or by email to [email protected]. and empowerment. The services provided by the BCASVACP are supported by the I hope that the articles in this newsletter can be a part of our Ministry of Community Services, The Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General, and the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority. ongoing discussion and action to help make women in the sex trade safer. Charitable # 13926 5821 RR0001 Tracy Porteous PAGE 2 NEWSLETTER OF THE BCASVACP / FALL 2006 SUPPORTING SEX WORKERS: A KEY ISSUE FOR BC ANTI-VIOLENCE PROGRAMS continued from Page 1 Sex Trade and Rural Communities numbers of Aboriginal women in the sex trade: “The There is often a perception that sex work only happens in social and economic marginalisation of Indigenous urban centres. In fact, people work in the sex trade across women, along with a history of government policies that BC. Urban and rural communities are often linked by the have torn apart Indigenous families and communities, sex trade: young women recruited in small towns or have pushed a disproportionate number of Indigenous Aboriginal villages are brought to work in the sex trade in women into dangerous situations that include extreme Prince George, Kelowna, Duncan, Victoria, Vancouver or poverty, homelessness and prostitution.” The Amnesty other smaller centres. As well, sex workers may be moved report refers to a study carried out by PACE (Prostitution from city to city on sex trade “circuits.” Nythalah Baker of Alternatives, Counselling and Education) in 2001 in the BC Rural Women’s Network says that over the past two Vancouver. PACE surveyed 183 women and found that years the network has been hearing more stories of rural “more than 30 percent of sex workers surveyed were women involved in “survival sex.” Nythalah uses this term to Indigenous women, although Indigenous people make up refer to “women being approached in smaller communities less than two percent of the city’s population.” by people (men) who know they are having financial difficul- All readers will be aware that Robert Pickton has been ties and offering to help them out (i.e. with the car repairs; charged with 22 murders of street-involved women from home repairs, etc.) in exchange for sex.” Nythalah says that the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver. Many of these while survival sex is not a new phenomenon, “given the women were Aboriginal, and most were involved in the sex severe changes since 2001/2002, there are fewer options trade and had drug addictions. (See Supporting Families available to women. And in smaller communities, people are page 11 for more on the missing and murdered women). more likely to know one another, who is at risk of being cut Many of the women missing from the Highway of Tears off welfare, etc.” were also Aboriginal (see the report in our last issue on the Amber Hartley is the Executive Director of Northern Highway of Tears Symposium). Rockies Aboriginal Women’s Society in Fort Nelson. She Many women and children are trafficked into Canada from says that sex work is very common in this community, a other countries to work in the sex trade. Because of their lack northern town of 6,000 whose population increases by of immigration status, they are extremely vulnerable to thousands in the winter, when oil and gas workers arrive. violence and exploitation. These men are making large amounts of money, and often hire sex trade workers. Amber reports that there is concern in Feminism and Sex Work the community about teenage girls who are entering the Some feminists consider all sex workers to be victims who trade. Whereas men can make good money in Fort Nelson, are involved in sex work against their will. They feel that in women are generally limited to minimum wage jobs, and the context of sexism and other forms of oppression, no living expenses are high. The sex trade is an opportunity to woman is able to make a free, informed choice to enter the make better money. sex trade. Others believe that no woman should engage in sex work because it confirms stereotypical oppressive Discrimination and Sex Work beliefs about women and therefore hurts all women. Still Sex workers, particularly those who work on the street, other feminists see the sex trade as a legitimate form of face high levels of violence in their work.

Load more

  32

Copy Link