Dear Friend,
We won!
By “we,” I mean all who care about ending sexual exploitation in Canada.
Let me explain what happened and why it’s a cause for celebration…
A group of sex workers, fighting to have prostitution fully decriminalized in Canada, had challenged the current prostitution laws in court.
But in its ruling last month, the Ontario Superior Court upheld Canada’s prostitution laws, which have been in place since 2014. The EFC had not only worked hard to urge the government to adopt the current laws, we also intervened in this court case in strong support of the laws.
The judge found that there is a very clear link between prostitution and human trafficking. The EFC has long argued that, as long as there is a demand for paid sex, traffickers have the financial incentive to ensure that a steady supply of women and children are available for purchase. The aim of the prostitution laws is to curb the demand for paid sex that fuels sexual exploitation – by criminalizing the pimps who profit from the sexual exploitation of others and the johns who buy sexual services.
Survivors of prostitution, as well as service providers and advocates like the EFC, are applauding the court’s decision and hailing it as a significant victory for the dignity and equality of women and girls in Canada. Many cried tears of relief and joy.
God calls us to care for those who are vulnerable, to seek justice and to defend the oppressed. It is from these principles of human dignity and care for those who are vulnerable that the EFC engages on issues of sexual exploitation and human trafficking.
Statistics Canada data shows that it is mainly Canadian women and girls who are being trafficked in Canada, and they mostly end up in the commercial sex trade. As well, evidence shows that sex traffickers target young people because sex buyers often seek out teens. Many sex workers were forced into the sex trade before the age of 18. In one Canadian study, the average age of entry into the sex industry was between 14 and 15 years old.
There is also evidence that exploiters target individuals with pre-existing vulnerabilities. Women and youth who experience poverty, precarious housing, racism, and marginalization are especially vulnerable to exploitation. Often, exploiters target young women and girls who are in foster care or who have a history of abuse.
Pro-prostitution groups argue that the current laws lead to increased violence and danger for those in prostitution. The EFC has always said it is not the laws that are responsible for the violence – rather, it’s the pimps and sex buyers. In fact, statistics show that, since the current laws were passed, the number of homicide victims related to the sex trade have decreased significantly. The judge found that “violence is a feature, not a bug” of prostitution.
The fact is, the large majority of girls and women in the sex trade are not there by choice. While there may be transactions within the sex trade that are consensual and non-coercive, these are taking place within a system of exploitation that reinforces the inequality and subordination of women. This system encourages misogynistic attitudes and beliefs that put all women and girls at increased risk of harm and exploitation.
The current laws send a strong message that women and children are not for sale. We must reject the idea that men are entitled to have paid access to women’s bodies and the subsequent right to do whatever they want with their “purchases.” Prostitution should not be normalized or legitimized in Canada. And it should never be accepted as a solution to female poverty.
Our fight is not over. The sex workers who challenged the laws will likely appeal the decision to a higher court. When they do, the EFC will be there. We can’t afford not to be.
As Christians, we are compelled to affirm and promote the human dignity of all. We are compelled to love, respect, and honour one another as fellow image-bearers of a loving God and to denounce all forms of violence, exploitation, and dehumanization. Our bodies are not commodities to be bought and sold for gratification or profit.
I urge you to consider what kind of society we hope to create and to leave for our children and grandchildren. Help us in our work toward building a society where all women and girls enjoy greater equality and greater safety and freedom from abuse and exploitation – where our children grow up with a healthy respect for themselves, for one another, and for their sexuality.
Our current laws support the right of women and girls to live free from the harms and violence of prostitution and sex trafficking. The EFC is working hard to ensure that these laws are defended, upheld, fully implemented, and properly and consistently enforced. Will you please consider making a generous gift
today? Thank you and God bless!
Dr. David Guretzki
President & CEO