SU-2324-9
26-02-2024
Comhairle notes
Sex work is defined as the sale of any sexual services, performances, or products for material compensation, including online sex work and pornography.
Comhairle further notes
The phrase ‘decriminalization of sex work’ has been politically coopted by individuals, such as the National Women’s Council, who believe that the Nordic model is the only way to support sex workers. Under the Nordic model, sex buyers are criminalized while sex workers are decriminalized, however, additional working supports such as hiring security, accountants or drivers remains illegal. Worryingly, it is also illegal under the Nordic Model for two or more sex workers to live together, as under the Nordic Model this constitutes a brothel, and allows landlords to evict tenants should they discover that the tenant is engaging in sex work. Many individual sex workers and sex work organisations, such as Sex Workers Alliance Ireland, have gone on record to say that the Nordic model has been created under the false pretence that all sex work is abuse and always leads to sex trafficking and exploitation, without the model acknowledging that consensual sex work exists. They confirm however, that prohibitions, like the one of the Nordic model, and stigmatization are the biggest problems for sex workers, which do cause real harm. It was also reported on the 19/02/2024 that the Council of Europe’s human rights commissioner agreed with sex-worker-led organisations that the decriminalisation of sex work will improve outcomes for sex workers. The Sex Workers Alliance Ireland undertook peer research of the Criminal Law Sexual Offences Act which brought the Nordic model to Ireland in 2017. Their most important findings are listed below:
· This law has not prevented people from engaging in sex work.
· It has negatively impacted safety measures making survival more perilous.
· Instead of making workers safer it has had sex work much more dangerous and decreased faith and trust in Garda amongst workers. Crime against sex workers has increased significantly under this law.
· This law has failed to reduce numbers of clients but instead it has worsened behaviour of clients toward sex workers.
· Sex workers have lost bargaining power and are therefore seeing clients they might have previously refused to see and engaging in acts they might not have previously considered.
· Existing supports for workers are severely lacking and tend to be focused on workers that are actively trying to exit sex work.
Comhairle therefore mandates
That University of Galway Students Union take an anti-Nordic model stance and to lobby and campaign on a local and national level for the full decriminalisation of sex work.
Comhairle further mandates
That the VP Welfare and Equality research into internal University supports for students engaged in sex work and lobby the University for greater supports, in doing so, to reach out to sex worker organisations, such as Sex Workers Alliance Ireland, and to create and run a campaign educating students on sex work through providing workshops and an infographics campaign.
