AFRO's News Reading
Bill decriminalising sex work to be tabled in Victorian parliament by year's end
(The Guardian, 2021.08.13)
Legislation to decriminalise sex work and provide sex workers with standard workplace rights and protections will be introduced to the Victorian parliament by the end of the year.
The consumer affairs minister, Melissa Horne, said the state government had accepted a recommendation made by the Reason Party MP Fiona Patten, who was commissioned by the Andrews government in 2019 to conduct a review into sex work... (Read full text)
AFRO's Comment:
It is encouraging to see that sex work in Victoria is one step closer to complete decriminalisation. The legal reform will bring Victoria into line with New South Wales and the Northern Territory and make sex work safer.
AFRO has been committed to advocating the decriminalisation of sex work. However, this has remained a sensitive and controversial issue and there has not been enough discussion in Hong Kong.
Some said sex work cannot be eliminated, as sexual desire itself cannot be eliminated. The tougher the restriction, the higher the chance that it will make sex work go underground, discourage sex workers and/or their clients to seek help in case of problems and/or emergencies and thus put them at risk.
All workers and all industries/sectors should be protected, while the content and form of protection should be discussed with the stakeholders. AFRO will continue its work, hoping that more discussion about decriminalisation will happen in the society.
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