Reforming Sex Work

Dragging Sex Work Out of The Shadows and into the Light: Reforms to Outdated, Discriminatory Regimes

Amelia Smith

Radical feminist perspectives outlined below are prevalent within the UK’s legislature and pose harm to vulnerable sex workers: the overwhelming opinion of legislatures is that prostitution is inherently oppressive. This article addresses the governmental approach within England and Wales in which relays outdated perspectives on gender equality to a degree that results in inconsistent implementation. A strict liability approach is ill-suited to the context of exploitation within sex work, particularly that of prostitutes, hence, this article proposes it be reduced and covered by other criminal offences. The approach adopted in New Zealand, although not perfect, provides the best model in which our jurisdiction ought to adopt to improve social justice. This article determines that sex work ought not to be left in the shadows, it is time to recognise this form of labour in order to effectively protect the vulnerable.

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