Neo-Abolitionism as Regulation?
In September 2023, the final discussions on a resolution to regulate prostitution in the EU took place in the EU Parliament, before a vote was taken the next day. The report by the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality had been met with criticism in advance, particularly from sex workers. The report cites a 2013 study from Germany according to which 41% of sex workers have experienced violence in connection with their work. This figure was used to justify the responsibility of the women’s rights department.
However, a Google search shows that around 35% of women aged 15 and over in the general population of Austria have also experienced physical and/or sexual violence, which raises the question of whether sex work is really an exclusively female issue or whether it also affects men and other genders. Why is the report being dealt with in the women’s rights department and not in the employment committee, which is responsible for labour rights? Is criminalisation really an improvement for people in sex work?
Radiofabrik editors Susi Huber and Franziska Kinskofer have analysed the report from a human rights perspective and talked to experts on the subject, including sociologist, ethnologist and political scientist Helga Amesberger and social worker Christine Nagl from the PiA counselling centre.