Prostitution decriminalisation failed in New Zealand, former sex workers say
Sex workers who helped push for prostitution to be decriminalised New Zealand say it has not worked as South Australian Parliament prepare to debate new laws.
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Former sex workers who pushed to have prostitution decriminalised in New Zealand warn pimps and customers will get greater powers under proposed South Australian laws.
Sabrinna Valisce and Ally Marie Diamond, now based in Victoria and Queensland, have been brought to Adelaide by conservative Labor MLC Clare Scriven before a Bill to decriminalise sex work is due to be debated in parliament next month.
The pair have warned MPs that decriminalisation is “simplistic” and does not help the women new laws are aimed at protecting.
New Zealand’s Prostitution Reform Act passed in 1993, allowing brothels to operate as legitimate businesses.
Ms Valisce said the push for decriminalisation was to ensure women were not criminals, could both enter and exit the industry with support and have power over their income.
“The idea was that the only people that should be in prostitution are those that really, really want to be there,” she said.
“But decriminalisation failed to do that. Instead the issues of poverty and coercion are still there.”
Ms Valisce said that the objective that women would get to choose their own hours, terms, customers and pay did not happen.
“Instead, brothel owners set prices, they called it an ‘all inclusive’ so women who had previously not been doing full sex had to,” she said.
Ms Diamond many women went into prostitution because they feel they have no choice.
And trafficking was rife in New Zealand.
“They are coerced, and a lot of them don’t know why they are coming, they think they are coming for a completely different reasons,” she said.