Swedish Model a Failure Yet Another Law Targeting Street-Based Sex Workers
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Swedish model a failure Yet another law targeting street-based sex workers FIRST fights for the decriminalization of sex work the effect of the law is mostly negative for the sex and for sex worker’s human and labour rights. We worker?”2 Some pointed out that even if “a few know that criminalization endangers sex workers: men get fined, the majority will continue buying Criminalization makes sex workers far more sexual services as usual, and, as usual, it is women vulnerable to violence, compromises their health and sex workers who will be most adversely and access to services and rights, and profoundly affected.” 3(See below for more specific undermines their status in our society. information on impacts on street‐based sex workers.) The Swedish model: Criminalization is criminalization Indeed, both these predictions have stood the test of time: in May 2009, when Swedish public radio As of 1999, Sweden’s laws on prostitution criminalize those who buy sexual services, but not stations posted fake ads for sexual services on websites, they were swamped with almost a those who sell sexual services. It also makes 4 brothel ownership and procurement (pimping) thousand inquiries. In the ten‐year period the law illegal. While sex workers can no longer be has been in effect in Sweden, and “despite about 2,000 arrests, no one has been jailed and arrested for doing sex work, they still are forced to convictions have only led to minor fines – due work in a criminalized environment. Our mainly to difficulties with finding evidence and the perspective: Ccriminalization is criminalization. low maximum penalty on the statute books.”5 Sweden’s approach to sex work and to sex Swedish model targets street-based workers workers’ rights is deeply problematic. Sex work is officially not considered work in Sweden. Rather, It is important to note that, even before the prostitution is seen as a social ill and a form of introduction of this law, Sweden had fewer sex men's violence against women. Women who sell workers than both other European countries and sex are considered victims who need protection by Canada. In 2001, two years after the law’s passage, the state. Male or transgender sex workers are reports estimated there were 2,500 sex workers in rarely acknowledged. The Swedish state has Sweden, with approximately 1,850 (76%) of these decided that prostitution must be abolished. This individuals working in inside venues.6 In Canada, approach represents a brand of morality and it’s estimated that up to 80% of sex workers, work ideology that is both narrowly conceived and indoors. callous in the extreme. Sweden enforces its sex work laws by targeting The Swedish law is severely criticized by Swedish street‐based sex work clients, and only charts the sex workers. One researcher reports workers find impact of its laws by assessing what is happening the law, “paradoxical, illogical and on the street. Immediately after the law was discriminatory.”1 They ask: “How can the passed, Sweden allotted 7 million kronor ($1.2 politicians claim that only the clients are being million CND) to enforce the new law – the only punished and that they are being protected when target was the street‐based trade. Police, armed Swedish model a failure FIRST • September 2010 Page 1 of 4 with video cameras, filmed any car that slowed identify (the phenomenon from the perspectives of down near a sex worker, effectively frightening various informants. As noted in our previous away clients, thus driving the sex workers off the reports, perhaps the only thing that can be streets.7 surveyed is knowledge about prostitution, or rather the perceptions and assessments of various Over the ten years since then, enforcement informants. It should also be noted that campaigns have come and gone based on police informants’ interpretations might be based on resources, but virtually all have targeted street‐ mutually contradictory perspectives and based sex work. Both the Swedish and Canadian definitions.”12 police take this approach because it’s straightforward: like clients, they more or less Meanwhile, as Sweden continues to promote the know where they can find street‐based sex law internationally as evidence that it is winning workers. Since 1985 in Canada, 93% of the battle against prostitution, senior justice and prostitution charges have been for government officials have been caught purchasing “communicating for the purpose of prostitution” – sex.13 In January 2010, Göran Lindberg, chief of the offence that targets street workers almost police of Uppsala, an officer celebrated in Sweden exclusively .8 The police rarely find, let alone as a staunch enemy of sexism in the police force, charge, people who work indoors selling sexual was arrested following a six‐month investigation services, and this is increasingly the case now that that found him buying sex. In August, Lindberg inside workers are using Internet sites to advertise was jailed for six and a half years on charges of for clients. The public has very little, if any, idea of rape, pimping, and procuring.14 In July 2010, the extent of indoor sex work. Our politicians Sweden’s Minister of Labour, Sven Otto Littorin, know, but most continue to ignore the grossly was forced to resign after tabloid newspapers disproportionate impact of the criminalizing reported he was caught buying sex.15 measures they endorse. Similar impacts of criminal laws Something’s happening here, in both Canada and Sweden but we don’t know what it is The impact that Sweden’s law has on sex workers A 2010 Swedish government evaluation of the law closely mirrors the experiences of Canada’s – which baldly stated: "One starting point of our vulnerable street‐based sex workers due to our work has been that the purchase of sexual services communicating law. Street‐based workers in is to remain criminalized" – deemed the law a Sweden report: success because it found street‐based sex work was reduced by half.9 However, this study has been • They feel hunted by the police, social workers, strongly criticized with researchers noting that, and media. Sometimes, even anti‐prostitution “the methodology section is practically non‐ activists harass them on the streets. One sex existent. We know nothing about how the worker commented that no other vocational evaluation was actually carried out.”10 In contrast, group would accept that the police "patrolled a 2007 study by Sweden’s National Board of their workplace." Health and Welfare concluded, “We can discern that street prostitution is slowly returning, after • They find it harder to assess clients because swiftly disappearing in the wake of the law against negotiation outdoors must be done quickly; purchasing sexual services.”11 meaning the likelihood of their ending up with a dangerous client is far greater. Both reports acknowledged that accurately surveying prostitution is a complex task. The 2007 • They are more apprehensive about seeking study explained (all emphasis in original): “The help from the police when they have had world of prostitution is hidden, inaccessible or problems with an abusive customer. stigmatised. Consequently, it is impossible to form • Most of the workers who can do so have a precise picture of prostitution and its extent, moved indoors, and the majority of their regardless of the chosen method. All we can do is clients now seek indoor services, while other Swedish model a failure FIRST • September 2010 Page 2 of 4 clients often go to neighbouring countries The Swedish model in Canada: (such as Denmark, where prostitution is A deadly step backwards decriminalized). As a result, workers The reality for women selling sexual services on remaining on the street have less ability to the streets of Canada is one of unrelenting danger support each other or warn each other about and violence fastened to an unbroken history of dangerous clients. stigma and marginalization. Given that research • Fewer customers mean more competition has strongly linked these outcomes to between workers. Workers have been forced criminalization, one would hope the federal to lower prices, which leaves them in more government would work to eliminate criminal desperate financial need and therefore more sanctions against sex work. However, it appears willing to engage in unsafe sex, which makes the Conservative government is moving them more vulnerable to health risks. backwards to offer sex workers yet another version of criminalization. • Women who sell sex to finance a drug habit Recently, a Conservative Member of Parliament find it increasingly difficult to refuse announced plans to introduce a private members problematic customers, noting that the bill in the upcoming Parliamentary session calling "perverted" customers know what to do to for the Swedish model. In her rationale for the avoid arrest – they only have to deny it since change, this MP said nothing about adult workers there is rarely hard evidence. and nothing about criminalization and violence. • The stigma attached to sex work has increased, Rather, she said, "Many frontline organizations so workers do all they can to ensure their have found that sex trade workers are often anonymity. For some, this includes lying to underage victims of forced exploitation or human friends, family, and neighbours. trafficking, whereas the buyers, or Johns, provide an overwhelming demand for the sex trade with • They feel incapacitated by the state and little fear of consequences."18 Since we already maintain that their rights as citizens are have Code provisions on these issues, this violated. They note sex workers are denied the rationale demonstrates a stunning ignorance of benefits of the welfare state – something that the law and issues related to sex work. is granted to all other Swedish citizens. FIRST is strongly opposed to sex workers having • The majority of women report feelings of to endure yet another failed criminalization emotional stress due to the legal situation and experiment.