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20 Can. J. Women & L. 289 (2008)
Why Decriminalize - How Canada's Municipal and Federal Regulations Increase Sex Workers' Vulnerability

handle is hein.journals/cajwol20 and id is 291 raw text is: Why Decriminalize? How Canada's Municipal and Federal Regulations Increase Sex Workers' Vulnerability Emily van der Meulen and Elya Maria Durisin Le present article met en lumire deux secteurs de l'industrie du sexe au Canada, le massage et le service d'escortes, afin d'expliquer comment la rglementation actuelle tant au niveau municipal quefid&al au Canada viole le droit au travail fondamental des travailleuses du sexe et contribue d leur vulnrabilit physique et conomique. Nous debutons par une discussion de l'impact de la position du fiminisme radical quant au travail du sexe ainsi qu'une introduction au contexte rglementaire actuel au Canada, tant au niveau local que fidral. L'article poursuit alors en relatant deux tudes de cas tiros de l'industrie du sexe. En se placant sur la corde raide entre l'illgalitg et la l galit , la rglementation peut stigmatiser et p~naliser les activits ordinaires lijes aux services de massage et d'escortes. En conclusion, l'article prsente un exemple international de dcriminalisation en Nouvelle-Z lande. Les auteures soutiennent qu'afin de presenter des recommandations de politique sociale r alistes, il est nicessaire d'examiner d'abord un cas ot les politiques ont &t conpues avec la collaboration des communauts de travailleuses du sexe et oa on a accord priorit au droit au travail des travailleuses du sexe ainsi qu' leur sante et d leur s&uritj au travail. This article highlights two sectors of the Canadian sex industry, massage and escorting, to explicate how current Canadian municipal and federal regulations violate sex workers' basic labour rights and contribute to physical and economic vulnerability. We begin with a discussion of the impact of the radical feminist position on sex work and an introduction to Canada's current regulatory context on both the local and federal level. The article then moves to the two sex industry case studies. Traversing afine line between illegality and legality, regulations can stigmatize and penalize common job-related massage and escort activities. The article concludes with an international example of decriminalization in New Zealand. We argue that in order to put forth realistic social and policy recommendations, it is necessary to first look to an instance where policies are forged with and by sex-working communities and where sex workers' labour rights and health and safety standards are prioritized. The authors would like to thank sex worker activist Kara Gillies for sharing her thoughts on this topic with us. CJWL/RFD doi: 10.3138/cjwl.20.2.289

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