‘Nordic’ approach will protect sex workers
I WAS pleased to see the SNP conference back a motion to support a Nordic-style approach to dealing with prostitution.
This approach is used in Norway, Sweden, Canada, Northern Ireland and France.
Buying a woman for sex is classified as a form of violence by many governments, including in Scotland, where the parliament made kerb crawling an offence.
The Nordic model recognises women as vulnerable people who are often forced into prostitution. The woman is therefore decriminalised in the Nordic system but the punter will face charges. This is the opposite of what happens now, which has resulted in a rise in demand.
Ash Denham MSP, backed by Women’s Aid, the STUC, the charity Care and others, has run a first-class campaign on this topic – building on the work of Labour MSP Rhoda Grant.
Crimes of violence against women who are prostituted have fallen where the Nordic model is introduced. But where brothels are able to operate legitimately by the state, such as in Germany, demand rises, as does trafficking and all the misery involved.
Violence does not fall by making this legal. And that’s why we need to change the law to criminalise men who use brothels, sex lines and the internet to use women in this way.
Those who doubt this should come and hear the survivors of prostitution who back Ash’s campaign.
These victims are disparaging of the “sex workers” lobbying groups who don’t represent the vast majority of women and girls abused for money.
In fact, some of these organisations are backed by criminals who make their money from prostitution. That’s why they wish to make pimping legal. Remember that when they start to shout against Ash’s advance.