The activists note that international studies have revealed that the policy of legalized prostitution failed wherever it was implemented.
“Instead of protecting the human rights and dignity of women trapped in the sex trade, legalized prostitution had the exact opposite effect,” they say, and add, “Legal adult prostitution increases child prostitution. Research indicates the links between prostitution and organized crime are never broken regardless of the legal status of the sex industry.”
The African branch of Catholic activists notes that if passed, the government’s support of legal prostitution will undermine the human rights of persons trapped in the sex trade, the majority of whom are females.
At the moment, South Africa is already experiencing high rates of sexual exploitation and abuse of women and children, the activists say, and add, “Domestic abuse of women and children is also at intolerably high rates. Considering these appalling facts against the backdrop of soaring rates of unemployment and endemic poverty renders legal prostitution illogical, unsustainable and untenable in South Africa.”
The South African government opened the Sex Work Amendment Bill for public participation in December last year.
Explaining the Bill, Justice and Constitutional Development Minister, Ronald Lamola, reportedly noted that criminalization of sex work in South Africa was contributing to Sexual and Gender-based violence, "as it leaves sex workers unprotected by the law, unable to exercise their rights as citizens and open to abuse generally, not least when they approach State facilities for assistance."
The Minister emphasized that criminalizing the adult sex practice had failed to stop "the selling or buying of sex, nor has it been effective."
"If anything, (criminalization) has led to higher levels of violence against sex workers. In addition, criminalization affects predominantly women, with the female sex worker usually being the one who is confronted by law enforcement, but the male client isn't. The National Prosecuting Authority has also indicated a very low percentage of cases or prosecutions for such transgressions," he said.
According to the members of CitizenGo Africa, however, the South African Department of Justice had chosen to ignore the recommendations in the country’s Law Reform Commission’s Final Report on Prostitution Law Reform.
“The SALRC conducted a comprehensive 9-year investigation into prostitution, commissioned by the same Justice Department, and warned against legalizing prostitution because of the high rates of GBV, poverty, and unemployment,” the activists say.
