If We Want To Help Women, We Should Decriminalize Prostitution

[Draggingtree]

The Federalist

If We Want To Help Women, We Should Decriminalize Prostitution

Continuing to incarcerate victims of sex trafficking alongside people who willingly sell sex is a continuing policy of failure.

 AUGUST 15, 2019 / By Molly Davis

In a recent National Review story, Madeleine Kearns takes a stand against legalizing prostitution, which she claims “would make a grave problem worse.” The premise of her argument relies largely on fear tactics, sprinkled with stories of women who have had bad experiences in the sex industry — with a primary focus on those who have been trafficked.

 She uses emotional appeals to get the reader to empathize with the women whose stories she tells, and their stories should evoke empathy. But she fails to address how keeping prostitution illegal will help solve any of the problems she targets in her story.

 Kearns’ solution is to criminalize pimps and clients while legalizing the act of selling one’s body for sex. But this policy has failed to work in the various countries where it’s been tried and only perpetuates the problems she illustrates.

Distinguishing Between Sex Trafficking and Sex Work    

to many do-gooders