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FORMER US PRESIDENT Jimmy Carter has written to TDs and Senators, urging them to press on with legislation that would criminalise the buyers of sex.
In an open letter made public this morning, the 89-year-old called on the Oireachtas to implement the findings of the Justice Committee, which last year recommended laws to target pimps and sex buyers, while protecting “prostituted women and girls.”
Denise Charlton, CEO of the Immigrant Council of Ireland, which briefed Carter before his submission, dated 27 August, has welcomed the intervention.
This contribution by a global figure who enjoys international respect again shows the importance of the debate which has taken place here in Ireland and the need for urgent political leadership to bring this issue to a conclusion.
In the letter, Carter describes the committee’s proposals as a “transformative approach to ending the exploitation, abuse, and trafficking of women and girls.”
He notes, however, the government’s 12-month delay in introducing legislation, and concludes by encouraging TDs and Senators to act quickly:
I hope that you will lead your nation towards the protection of prostituted women and girls with a sense of urgency.
Carter, who was a Democratic president from 1976-1980, is an active campaigner on human rights and public health throughout the world, through the Carter Center he set up in 1982.
He won the Nobel Peace prize in 2002.
Here’s the text of his letter to TDs, in full:
http://cdn.thejournal.ie/media/2014/09/president-carter-letter.pdf
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Hasn’t anyone told the Americans that we take our instructions from Berlin these days?
Ah Jimmy, it’s a pity you didn’t display the same interest in human rights in Nicaragua during your presidency. The Carter administration fully supported the murderous dictator Somoza until his abdication and armed trained and funded the brutal National Guard enabling them to slaughter tens of thousands of Nicaraguans in their efforts to crush the Sandinista revolution.
The Sandinistas drew the wrath of the U.S. for the unforgivable crime of “improving the condition of the people and encouraging their active participation in the development process.” (Oxfam) which ran entirely contrary to U.S. economic interests and the posed a grave risk of spreading a model of democratic social and economic development to the rest of Latin America.
I disagree with Jimmy, we should legalise and regulate it!
Dear Jimmy, please get your legislators to stop spending so much on military expansion, force the Israelis to stop apartheid in Gaza and while you’re at it ask your government to stop subsidising low pay corporations and sustaining poverty in employment among low paid American workers. Will I go on?
Surely the pro choice people will urge that a woman be allowed choice over what she does with her body
Spot on Anton. It should be legalised and regulated in order to keep sex workers safe.
Anton was trying to be smart but accidentally got it exactly right. The pro-choice position is that women have agency and that current law (and the proposed Swedish model) infantilise women and actually put sex workers in greater danger. But who care once we all feel like we’re ‘doing something’ eh?
I didn’t realise “pro-choice” was a hive mind
My experience has been the opposite. Feminists I’ve known tend to be extremely liberal on abortion and extremely anti-choice on prostitution
Clearly you’ve only met the wishy-washy liberal kind!
Or more likely they’re more expensive and out of his league
Silver Planet- I think for the most part feminism is divided on prostitution, but almost all feminists I know are very much pro-legalized prostitution, so long as vulnerable women and men aren’t being abused or exploited.
I think(from my experience) it’s usually the older feminists who are anti-prostitution, because feminist views on sex have changed, and become more positive in the last few years. The younger ones tend to see prostitution as part of a woman’s right to choose what to do with her body. If she wants to sleep around, it’s up to her. If she wants to sleep around and charge people money for it, she should be safe while she does it.
(I’m an exception obviously, because I’m old and I used to be a hooker.)
Stupid and immature attitude to the oldest profession. Making something illigal does not make it go away it just drives it further into the hands of criminals. Legalise it and protect both buyer and seller and tax it to provide health services relevant to the sex trade. Introducing some puritan American legislation helps nobody in this debate
Most of the problems people identify with prostitution can be resolved by making it legal and regulating it. Of course buying or selling sex is repulsive to most but we should never accept a situation whereby a person can solicit and encourage another person to break the law yet they face no penalty. Also, the proposers of out-lawing the purchase of sex keeping pointing to the Swedish example. Well go look at it and don’t take what people here tell us what the experience in Sweden has been. Many groups in Sweden have called for reform because it is pusher the business further underground. That’s in nobody’s interest.
While I wholeheartedly agree and support any measures that address the exploitation and abuse of any sex-worker, and especially girls, women (and to a lesser extent, boys) who are trafficked for the sex trade, I’d like to point out that not all sex workers are victims.
There are men and women who, for many reasons, choose sex-work – and not simply out of desperation or the like. Sure, for some – maybe even many, the fact that they can land more euro per hour as a sex worker than they’d get in more traditional jobs, is going to be a lure. But it’d be a mistake to think that all sexworkers are simply motivated by profit (as much as it would be to believe that they’re all abused, exploited and drug addicted). There are sex-workers that specialise in working with the elderly or disabled – people whose sexual and sensual needs are often forgotten or… hidden.
For these reasons, and for the simple reason that prohibition always works so well, I disagree with Mr Carter on his answer.
Punish those who _are_ exploiting sex workers, who are deceiving and trafficking girls and women who do not wish to be sex-workers. Ensure that there is enough of a social safety net to catch people before they feel forced into sexwork for economic reasons. And be active in addressing the disrespect that sex-workers are treated with, and chasing those who are violent toward them.
But the approach that Mr Carter recommends… well.. it’s not going to make life any better for men and women who choose sexwork.
I don’t like that phrase “to a lesser extent boys”. Firstly, there’s men in the sex trade too. But really it’s the way you’ve phrased it. They may be fewer in number but they aren’t abused to a lesser extent
Try to think of them all as people rather than focussing on outward characteristics. It doesn’t matter if they’re male or female
Yes, i cringed when I re-read it :(
What i meant there was that girls and women make a greater proportion of the people who are trafficked, not that there is a difference in the value of a girl, boy or woman – there isn’t.
So, I apologise for my clumsy phrasing.
That thumbs up. That was me.
Here is a new study just published in the British Medical Journal, one of the world’s most respected medical journals. It discusses the effects of the Swedish Model that was implemented in Canada (criminalisation of the client). It found the harms were just as bad as the previous situation of criminalising the sex worker and it recommended decriminalisation.
Criminalisation of clients: reproducing vulnerabilities for violence and poor health among street-based sex workers in Canada—a qualitative study.
Results: Sex workers’ narratives and ethnographic observations indicated that while police sustained a high level of visibility, they eased charging or arresting sex workers and showed increased concern for their safety. However, participants’ accounts and police statistics indicated continued police enforcement of clients. This profoundly impacted the safety strategies sex workers employed. Sex workers continued to mistrust police, had to rush screening clients and were displaced to outlying areas with increased risks of violence, including being forced to engage in unprotected sex.
Conclusions:
These findings suggest that criminalisation and policing strategies that target clients reproduce the harms created by the criminalisation of sex work, in particular, vulnerability to violence and HIV/STIs. The current findings support decriminalisation of sex work to ensure work conditions that support the health and safety of sex workers in Canada and globally.
Krüsi, A., Pacey, K., et al. 2014. Criminalisation of clients: reproducing vulnerabilities for violence and poor health among street-based sex workers in Canada—a qualitative study. BMJ Open, 4, e005191, doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2014-005191. http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/4/6/e005191.full.pdf
He is is just another Jesus freak, why are we entertaining him?
Hey Jimmy, are you Irish, do you live in Ireland, does our politicians send letters to the Whitehouse asking to reconsider domestic legislations? I don’t recall hearing from ANY of our leaders sending letters to the Whitehouse to change their second amendment.
Why is an ex American anything telling us what laws we should or shouldn’t have? This is the Irish republic last time I looked, at least on paper.
i think that his intentions are good – ending exploitation and sex trafficking. It’s his answers that are not so good.
Why do we need him? The problem is with kids is state “care” with the HSE who are regularly trafficked into the sex trade.
http://m.independent.ie/irish-news/kids-in-hse-care-ended-up-working-in-brothels-26738941.html
I was (in the full meaning of the 2008 law) trafficked into the sex trade by the EHB (forerunner of HSE) as an adult…
http://mymythbuster.wordpress.com/myth-melissa-farley-is-the-mother-of-abolitionism/
That is not a cute blurb by the way, it is just the truth, and I am tired of hiding the hypocrasy of all involved
I’m not interested in all the shite that flows with it as I had that years ago so I’m single in my late forties and use these girls on a Saturday night before I go home and there’s no strings attached. What’s the problem with it? I lived in holland and Germany were the profession is far more main stream. In Frankfurt you have one of the most vibrant red light district in Europe and why in Frankfurt? Big financial city with plenty of customers especially on week nights.
The problem is that some of these people are doing that job because of exploitation or trafficking, and there’s a high risk of STDs in the business, for both the prostitutes and their customers because nobody legally has to disclose any sort of information.
Obviously it’s not all like that, and that’s exactly why there needs to be regulation. A woman being forced into having sex with strangers against her consent is definitely wrong, and should not be dealt with the same way as a woman choosing to earn money by having sex with strangers. So basically, to answer your question, the lack of regulation is what’s wrong with it.
For an alternative to Jimmy Carter’s recommendations compare the experience of New Zealand, which decriminalised prostitution in 2003, in this peer reviewed research and first hand written accounts:
“The Prostitution Reform Act (PRA), of New Zealand was passed in 2003. The Act’s stated purpose was to decriminalise certain activities related to sex work and to create a framework that:
• Safeguards the human rights of sex workers and protects them from exploitation;
• Promotes the welfare and occupational health and safety of sex workers;
• Is conducive to public health; and
• Prohibits the use in prostitution of persons under 18 years of age.
New Zealand’s plan for decriminalisation included labour rights and protections.”
A New Zealand Government commissioned study into the effects of decriminalisation, this study carried put by the University of Otago generally showed harm reduction, reduction in sex trafficking and other positive effects due to decriminalisation, the issue was that prostitutes found it difficult to exit the sex industry given how connected (internet, phone) they now are (previous clients would email / ring them). Given the generally positive findings, the New Zealand Government maintained decriminalised and a regulated sex industry. Here is the report:
“The Impact of the Prostitution Reform Act on the Health and Safety Practices of Sex Workers”
http://www.otago.ac.nz/christchurch/otago018607.pdf
This paper is about the history of the New Zealand sex workers union that fought for the rights of sex workers and for decriminalisation:
“The New Zealand Prostitutes Collective (NZPC) formed in 1987 with the intention of reforming the policy that governed prostitution. The Prostitution Reform Act 2003 was created to protect sex workers from exploitation and to give them the same rights as other workers by protecting their occupation health and safety. It is an example of community empowerment in which a small and relatively powerless group of women strived to achieve social justice and equity for all sex workers. ” – Laverack & Whipple, 2010.
Laverack, G. & Whipple, A. 2010. The sirens’ song of empowerment: a case study of health promotion and the New Zealand Prostitutes Collective. Global Health Promotion, 17, 33–38, doi: 10.1177/1757975909356630.
A book by Able et al. (2010) is about the experiences of New Zealand’s decriminalised and regulated sex industry, here a two reviews:
“A major contribution to our understanding of prostitution when it is decriminalised and regulated by the government. The authors offer a path-breaking analysis of the New Zealand experience, and show that decriminalisation can be a superior alternative to the common policy of criminalisation.” – Ronald Weitzer, Professor of Sociology, George Washington University, USA” – Review of book by Abel et al., 2010.
“This volume is a very well presented argument in favour of the decriminalisation of sex work, and shows that it benefits those who have the most to lose…Abel, Fitzgerald and Healy’s study is a must-read for those wanting to really improve the working conditions of sex workers.” – Rebecca Pates review of book by Abel et al., 2010.
Abel, G., Fitzgerald, L., Healy, C. & Taylor, A. 2010. Taking the Crime Out of Sex Work: New Zealand Sex Workers’ Fight for Decriminalisation. Policy Press. Hardback, 280 pages, ISBN 9781847423344
This paper is not just about New Zealand, but also a harsh critique of the Feminist Abolitionist position:
“Abolitionist demands are in direct opposition to those articulated by sex worker advocates. Abolitionist feminists who are not supporting decriminalisation of the sex industry, that is, a decrease in the regulation of sex work so that it is in line with the regulation of other occupations, are also not supporting sex worker organising.” Jeffreys, Green & Vega, 2011.
Jeffreys, E., Green, J. & Vega, C. 2011. Listen to sex workers: support decriminalisation and anti-discrimination protections. Interface: a journal for and about social movements Strategy contribution. Volume 3(2):271- 287
And Able (2014) showed increased access to sexual health services and GPs by sex workers, including (15%) some that accessed health clinics run by the New Zealand Prostitutes’ Collective’s (NZPC), a Union for sex workers following decriminalisation, though the stigma remained and some did not tell Drs their profession.
Abel G., 2014. Sex workers’ utilisation of health services in a decriminalised environment. The New Zealand medical journal, 127, 30–37.
The last paper by Armstrong (2014) is about Street Workers in New Zealand, sex workers who have chosen not to work in licensed brothels and work on the street (decriminalisation reduced the numbers involved street prostitution some still remain). However, since discrimination those who are on the street find it easer to asses clients and avoid danger.
Armstrong, L. 2014. Screening clients in a decriminalised street-based sex industry: Insights into the experiences of New Zealand sex workers. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Criminology, 0004865813510921, doi: 10.1177/0004865813510921.
Does America have to run everything? Do they not know our political soul and will has already been bought by Europe?
What would Jimmy Carter know about sex work and sex trafficking in Ireland? Nothing, apart from the rubbish the Magdalene sister “Turn Off the Red Light” campaign has told him. The whole TORL campaign is just a bunch of privileged cronies trampling all over the rights of sex workers because they can. Welcome Jimmy!
I was about to bring that ‘woman’ up aswell. The likes of her have never made anything better for women. Her presistance in pushing her moral agenda knows no bounds. Constantly pushing the Sweedish model despite all the data pointing to it doing more harm than good.Legalising it will not just cut down the rates of abuse but will also cut the scourge of people being trafficked into Europe against their will.
Legalise and regulate and introduce harsh penaltys for those paying for sex with illegal unregistered hookers.
Oh and introduce a health tax for the registered to cover mandatory health screening.
I advocate for the legalisation and regulation of prostitution as a means to protect the sex workers.
However, until it is regulated and legalised nobody who pays for sex can be certain that they are not actively invovled in an act of exploitation and rape. Anyone who is willing to pay for sex under those circumstances is fukcing scuum as far as I am concerned. They deserve to be locked up, named and shamed.
Do you really advocate, or do you just pontificate on the journal?
I just pontificate on the journal. ;-)
It doesn’t say much for your skills, Jake, if you’re unable to tell if someone is willingly having sex with you.
@CPM then you need to do some serious thinking as to what constitutes consent.
It is not consensual if she is a trafficked sex slave being forced to have sex with you by her pimp. That’s called rape.
Jake – Good man for admitting it. Me too :-)
Jake – my point remains the same, maybe read it this time – if you’re unable to tell when someone is not willingly having sex with you it’s a bad reflection on you.
@CPM interesting use of tense in that sentence. Surely if you have to be having sex with the person to know they are willingly having sex with you it’s too late?
In any case, wanting to have sex with you is very different to giving consent for sex. I’d hazard a guess a prostitute very rare “wants” to have sex with the person they are having sex with even if they do consent. They are doing it for money.
As I said, Jake, “willingly”, I didn’t mention “wanting” to have sex, you added that.
Do you normally ignore people’s postings and just type random replies, in the hope the other party will bite?
Man walks into a bar, spends 200 euro buying drinks and taxi for them both.
She then consents to sex. Now tell me the difference between this and women who choose to provide sex in a regulated and monitored environment with criminality attached…
Do you ignore most of your opponents arguments in order to poke holes in what you perceive as the weakest points?
Remember this part of my argument?
“Surely if you have to be having sex with the person to know they are willingly having sex with you it’s too late?”
You are kidding yourself if you think you can identify the difference between a sex worker having sex with you for money or due to coercion no matter what name you want to give it.
If you are having sex with prostitutes in Ireland, where is unregulated, you are doing something unethical pure and simple.
“Remember this part of my argument?
“Surely if you have to be having sex with the person to know they are willingly having sex with you it’s too late?””
Yes, and I was talking about you, not me. Your reading comprehension is extremely poor, Jake.
“You are kidding yourself if you think you can identify the difference between a sex worker having sex with you for money or due to coercion no matter what name you want to give it.”
You sound pretty sure of that, can you point me to the source of your information?
It’s simple logic CPM. A sex worker is a professional and very likely has a lot of practice at acting as a willing participant.
It really isn’t rocket science. If you’re using the services of prostitutes in Ireland, you have no way of knowing which are providing the service freely and which are providing it under coercion.
I personally don’t use the services of sex workers and certainly am not in the habit of raping women, so I really don’t have any point of comparison. Just a reasoned argument that you are intent on ignoring.
I love hookers
I will have to sleep on that one
When are the journal going yo do a poll on this topic?
Jimmy Carter did they not say when he was president he couldn’t walk and chew a peanut at the same time?
Prostitution should be legalised in Ireland what Carter suggests will only drive this practise further underground and hide those who do need help.
No, that comment was not about Carter. LBJ was reported to have said “Gerald Ford can’t walk and chew gum at the same time”, though the original comment was earthier.
The best opinion piece on prostitution that I’ve read in recent times is from The Economist: http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21611063-internet-making-buying-and-selling-sex-easier-and-safer-governments-should-stop
Soliciting on on the street is also illegal in Ireland.
But consider the consequences of that definition of brothel. It means the sex worker can’t even employ any security. One sex worker operating alone with one security guard is considered to be a brothel.
Also, in an unregulated environment, how do you know for sure the woman is working alone and not working for a larger organisation or a pimp? You have no way of knowing.
P*@* off Jimmy
The irony. The US is the biggest pimp in the world.
The New Zealand system is the way forward and I’ve never heard it mentioned as an option once in the media or by politicians.
Oh piss off Carter. You couldn’t run your own country perfectly(and you’re one of the lucky few who got the chance to try), so feck off away from ours.
We don’t take him seriously , why should you ?….. He’s our crazy Uncle Jimmy gumming on a peanut
Best of luck jimmy this shower don’t even listen to their own electorate .
That’s a seriously cool logo at the top of the letter though!
“It’s simple logic CPM. A sex worker is a professional and very likely has a lot of practice at acting as a willing participant.”
That’s not logic, there’s no logic there – saying it is logic doesn’t actually make it logic, it’s just you making up a statement, then saying it’s logic. Please don’t confuse the two.
You’re saying there would be no of knowing the difference between a prostitute who has been trafficked and one who is selling their body of their own free will?
Listen, you’re either taking the piss, or you’re on a different planet, in both cases you’re wasting my time.
I think you are forgetting that TORL have convinced a lot of gullible people that sex workers are more like pound dogs than human beings and are absent the power of speech.
I read the letter and realised that Jimmy Carter’s 89 year old good will had been taken shameless advantage of by TORL. I don’t think he has even been told sex work is currently decriminalised here, and honestly believed that the situation is the same as USA where you just try to find ways to save sex workers from criminal records, so I wrote this reply:
http://mymythbuster.wordpress.com/myth-i-never-correspond-with-peanut-farmers/
…after which I went to bed and woke up to find half the USA had read it…
I do hope Jimmy Carter was one of them, and still knows how to come down like a ton of bricks.
This is the oldest job in the world. If pimps etc were removed and prostitutes were given rights then there is lee way for regulating this industry. Making something illegal does not stop it. The sex trade will continue no matter what. If regulated brothels with continuous monitoring were set up it would provide safety for those who have to / want to provide this service. And safety for those who avail or it. If a woman chooses, again chooses to provide sex for a fee it is her right to. Just as it is any woman/mans right to have sex with someone else as long as both parties consent. Debate badly needed.
have your say