Sex work as Prostitution, Liberal and Radical Approaches to Feminism

8/10/2019 Sex work as Prostitution, Liberal and Radical Approaches to Feminism

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Calvin Wilkinson 41760802

Sex work as Prostitution, Liberal and Radical Approaches toFeminism

-Calvin Wilkinson-

! ntroduction

In this submission, I will analyse whether Queensland should adot the!wedish model o" #riminalisin$ #lients o" se% workers in line with a radi#al"eminist aroa#h that seeks the abolishment o" rostitution, or maintaina le$alisation oli#y that is re#on#ilable with liberal "eminism as a meanso" emowerin$ and desti$matisin$ se% workers& 'his is an imortantdis#ussion to have in li$ht o" re#ent overtures by (ustralian oliti#ians toadot the !wedish model,1as well as lon$standin$ )uestions over#onsent, a$en#y, and the atriar#hal so#iety en$endered by se% work&Whilst the debate over rostitution has been #riti#ised by some "eministsas an *annoyin$ binary+ that revents "eminists "rom addressin$ the

broader issues o" ine)uality,2

these #alls to rise above the mudslin$in$are not #onvin#in$ to the rota$onists,-nor are they hel"ul "rom thevanta$e o" se% workers who are dire#tly a.e#ted by the oli#y out#omes&/undamentally, rostitution is a toi# that is "ar too #omli#ated to e%e#ta uni"orm resonse "rom "eminist le$al advo#ates, and whilst it is easier to#riti#ise than #reate, #riti#ism is an imortant ste in the develoment o"law&

art 1 o" this essay will #riti)ue the ar$uments made by rominent"eminists, in#ludin$ Catharine a#innon and the late (ndrea 3workin,"rom their vanta$e oint as radi#al "eminists& !e#i#ally, their advo#a#y

o" the !wedish model will be evaluated a$ainst #ertain #riti#isms labelleda$ainst it5 rstly, the e%tent to whi#h their ar$uments mar$inalise thevoi#e o" se% workers "urthermore, whether they unustiably deny thea$en#y o" se% workers and nally, to what de$ree this aroa#h #onatesse% work with human tra9#kin$& art 2 will evaluate whether the liberal"eminism aroa#h #an be de"ended a$ainst #ertain #riti#isms madea$ainst it, namely5 its resumtion o" a se% worker+s "reedom o" #hoi#eand moreover, its "ailure to a##ount "or the atriar#hal so#ial reality thatstru#tures se%ual relations between men and women& /rom thisevaluation, it will be ar$ued that the liberal "eminist aroa#h o"le$alisation is, desite some valid )uali#ations, a more de"ensiblearoa#h to se% work "rom the vanta$e oint o" "eminism&

Part "# $valuatin% the Radical Feminism Approach

"!" &he Radical Feminism Approach de'ned

1!ee (ustralian :road#astin$ Cororation, *(ustralian oliti#ians on rostitution study tour to;uroe, (sia+, htt5??www&ab#&net&au?news?20140-20?oliti#iansonrostitutionstudytourtoeuroeasia?@---472A2arie !e$rave, *Brder at the border5 'he reatriation o" vi#tim+s o" tra9#kin$+


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:e"ore addressin$ the substantive #riteria, it is essential to state what ismeant by the radi#al "eminism aroa#h and its ali#ation torostitution& 'here are three vanta$e oints "rom whi#h to analyse theradi#al "eminism aroa#h5 lan$ua$e, ori$ins and urose&

'he #hoi#e o" lan$ua$e used by radi#al "eminists to des#ribe se% work isimortant "or the same reason that lan$ua$e is ertinent to des#ribin$women $enerally5 only with a lan$ua$e that ade)uately reresents se%workers #an oliti#al visibility be "ostered&4;ven a #ursory analysis o"writin$s by rominent radi#al "eminists reveals that su#h "eminists o"tenuse the terms Frostituted woman,G or Fwomen e%loited in rostitution,Gto re"er to se% workers&@'he use o" these terms is imortant be#ause itdemonstrates a arti#ular understandin$ o" se% and rostitution thatmar$inalises the #onsent and a$en#y o" se% workers, an issue whi#h willbe #riti)ued in the ne%t se#tion&

'he ori$ins o" radi#al "eminism are si$ni#ant be#ause they reveal why,"rom the vanta$e o" radi#al "eminists, rostitution must be abolished&Hadi#al "eminist erse#tives on rostitution #an be tra#ed ba#k towritin$s on the nature o" se% in a atriar#hal so#iety by (ndrea 3workinand Catharine a#innon& /or 3workin, heterose%ual se% in the #onte%t o"a atriar#hal so#iety #an only be #hara#terised as violen#e a$ainstwomen&6(s e%lanation, 3workin ar$ues that women are not viewed ashumans in a atriar#hal so#iety, but rather as se%ual obe#ts to berava$ed and ossessed by men& What women may er#eive as se%ual"reedom and a$en#y is only an illusion&7(r$uably, these assumtions

about se% remain hi$hly inuential in radi#al "eminist thou$ht onrostitution& Hadi#al abolitionist "eminists similarly #hara#terise allrostitution as Fviolen#e a$ainst women,G8 where women are redu#ed tovi#tims and male #lients to vile a$$ressors& Women do not #hooserostitution, but are #oer#ed into be#omin$ rostitutes&'hus "rom thevanta$e o" radi#al "eminists, abolition is seen as the only ustiableresonse to su#h atriar#hal violen#e a$ainst women& otwithstandin$this, the assumtions borrowed "rom 3workin+s writin$ on the nature o"se% in a atriar#hal so#iety have been #riti#ised as "ar too narrow to bereresentative o" all women, and will be #riti)ued "urther in the ne%tse#tion&

'o #omlete this analysis, it is instru#tive to des#ribe the urosiveintention o" radi#al "eminism, whi#h e%lains why su#h "eminists suortthe !wedish model& /undamentally, radi#al "eminists romote oli#ies and

4Dudith :utler, *Jender 'rouble+


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laws that they believe will eliminate rostitution in all o" its "orms& (s ameans to a#hievin$ the abolition o" rostitution, radi#al "eminists ar$uethat the male demand "or rostitution needs to be eliminated&10'his restson a #omlete trans"ormation o" male attitudes toward women, wherebymas#ulinity is no lon$er intrinsi#ally tied to se%ual dominan#e over

women& 11artial #riminalisation o" the #lient is seen as the most e.e#tivele$al s#heme "or radi#al "eminists, be#ause the wei$ht o" le$al#ondemnation a.e#ts #lients and "undamentally #ondemns rostitution asa so#ially una##etable a#tivity "or men to en$a$e in&

"!( $valuatin% the Radical Feminism Approach

I" the artial #riminalisation aroa#h to rostitution advo#ated by radi#al

"eminism is to be a #onvin#in$ one, it needs to be able to de"end itsel"a$ainst the #riti#isms that are levelled a$ainst it& In this #ase, there arethree5 the "ailure to take into a##ount the erse#tive o" se% workersthemselves the "ailure to a#knowled$e the a$en#y o" women and nally,the #onation o" rostitution with se% tra9#kin$&

"!(!" )ar%inalisin% the &estimon* o+ Sex Workers

'he rst #riti)ue o" radi#al "eminism, whi#h also alies to the !wedishmodel, is its "ailure to listen to the testimony o" #urrent se% workers& :y anumber o" vanta$e oints, in#ludin$ the ri$ht to sel"determination and

the romotion o" a humanri$hts based aroa#h, the testimony o" #urrentse% workers should be "undamental to any dis#ussion about rostitution&Kowever, radi#al "eminists too o"ten #laim to seak on behal" o" se%workers, instead o" listenin$ with interest to what rostitutes have to say"or themselves&12/or e%amle, whilst Catharine a#kinnon #ites e%tremee%amles o" the abusive #onditions asso#iated with rostitution in olkataas reresentative o" a atriar#hal #ulture, there is no mention o" thewealth o" testimony "rom se% workers that reort ositive e%erien#es intheir work&1-Indeed, there a number o" arti#ulate and intelli$ent womenwho have been mar$inalised by a#kinnon, whom #hoose to en$a$e inthe se% industry and who "orm or$anisations with names that leave little

doubt as to their dissatis"a#tion with their treatment by radi#al "eminists,su#h as Cast B. Lour Bld 'ired ;thi#s


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le$itimate i" it ts within the abolitionist ideolo$y o" the lawmakers& Inarti#ular, the reort assumes that Fthose who have e%tri#atedthemselves "rom rostitution take a ositive view o" #riminalisation, whilethose who are still e%loited in rostitution are #riti#al o" the ban&G14'hatis the e%tent to whi#h the voi#e o" #urrent se% workers is re#o$nised in this

reort& /urther #omoundin$ this silen#e is the "a#t that the "ormer se%workers interviewed "or the reort all belon$ to an or$anisation #alledFrostitutes Heven$e in !o#ietyG whi#h has the e%a#t same abolitionista$enda as the advo#ates o" the !wedish model&1@'his #omlete disre$ard"or the testimony o" eole who #laim to have #hosen to en$a$e in se%work has #omli#ated the radi#al "eminist ar$ument about a$en#y, whi#hwill be evaluated ne%t&

"!(!( en*in% the A%enc* o+ Women

'he "ailure to a#knowled$e the a$en#y o" women oeratin$ in se% work is

a "urther #riti#ism o" both radi#al "eminism and the !wedish model&/undamentally, radi#al "eminists ree#t #laims by rostitutes that they aree%er#isin$ "ree #hoi#e and autonomy& Instead, su#h ro#lamations aremar$inalised by radi#al "eminists as a ree#tion o" internalised se%ism andmale rivile$e&16(s e%lanation, radi#al "eminists ar$ue that sin#e it is notossible to #hoose to en$a$e in rostitution in a atriar#hal so#iety,women in rostitution la#k a$en#y by denition&17'he #ontrarytestimonies o" se% workers, who believe that they have "reely #hosen se%work, are e%lained away as a result o" internalised $ender ine)uality andatriar#hal norms #ausin$ the se% worker to take on a "alse#ons#iousness&18(s ishka Jora ar$ues, this denial o" a se% worker+s

a$en#y is worthy o" #riti#ism be#ause it makes her somethin$ less thanhuman,1and to disre$ard her belie" in her a$en#y is to dele$itimise hermind&20

!imilarly, the !wedish model ree#ts the a##ounts o" #urrent se% workersthat su$$est they have a$en#y& Whilst the reort a#knowled$es thatwomen #urrently in rostitution ree#t the model+s #ondes#endin$ andaternalisti# aroa#h to their a$en#y,21these #laims are dismissed by thereort as a rodu#t o" the "a#t that these women are still in rostitution&22($ain, this dismissal o" a$en#y is #onsistent with the radi#al "eminist

erse#tive that no woman #onsents to rostitution in a atriar#halso#iety, and that those who do are Feither deluded or in some sort o"

14!o#ialstyrelsen

o" !e%ual !ervi#es& (n ;valuation 18 2008&>htt5??s-&amaNonawsom?NanranOstora$e?www&dublina#t&ie?Contenta$es?2470-600&d"A1@'urner, above n @, 22&16:eran, above n 11, -7&17'urner, above n @, @&18ishka Jora, * (ustralia and the !wedish odel o" rostitution >htt5??david#ollard&wordressom?2014?04?02?australiaandtheswedishmodelo"rostitution?A1Ibid&20

Ibid&21'urner, above n @, 21&22Ibid&

E(W!@172, (dvan#ed Durisruden#e, (ssi$nment 4


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F"alse#ons#iousnessG& 2-'hus, the denial o" se% workers+ a$en#y and there"usal to listen to su#h testimony #an be seen as ree#tive o" the rimary#on#ern o" radi#al "eminists, whi#h ar$uably is to make normativestatements about rostitution rather than to rote#t the ri$hts and wellbein$ o" se% workers&

"!(! Con.atin% Prostitution with Sex &ra/ckin%

'he nal #riti)ue o" radi#al "eminism is its #onation o" rostitution withse% tra9#kin$, whi#h has also mani"ested itsel" in the !wedish model&Kuman tra9#kin$ is a non#onsensual ro#ess o" tri#kery and e%loitationen#omassin$ labour, se% and or$ans nevertheless, it has #ome to be#onated with rostitution as a result o" the e.orts o" radi#al "eminists& (se%lanation, liberal "eminists have #riti#ised the writin$s o" radi#al"eminists, su#h as Catharine a#kinnon, on the basis that she ree#ts anysubstantive denition o" #oer#ion that distin$uishes between rostitution

and se% tra9#kin$&24

a#kinnon does make mention o" third arty involvement as a di.eren#ebetween rostitution and se% tra9#kin$ as dened in the alermoroto#ol& Kowever, "or her and other radi#al "eminists, distin$uishin$between "or#ed and "ree rostitution is seen to be "alla#ious anddan$erous&2@'his $rou o" radi#al "eminists have been instrumental inadvo#atin$ "or a #riminalisation o" the ur#hase o" se% to address bothtra9#kin$ and rostitution #on#omitantly& 'he !wedish model is the resulto" their e.orts and it was romoted as a measure to address bothrostitution and human tra9#kin$, with the hoe was that by abolishin$

all rostitution, they would redu#e se% tra9#kin$ within and throu$h!weden&26

;ssentially there are three roblems en$endered by the #onation o"rostitution with tra9#kin$5 rstly, it ima$ines rostitution as a "orm o"se%ual slavery, on the basis that work without #onsent is slavery, and#onsent to se% work is not ossible& 'his undermines the $ravity andhorror o" the situation "a#ed by eole in real slavery&27/urthermore, the!wedish model "o#uses on #riminalisin$ the #lient, and in so doin$ doesnot does not distin$uish in its unishment o" the #lient between #ases

involvin$ #onsentin$ se% workers and those involvin$ tra9#ked women&28

/inally, the linka$e o" rostitution and human tra9#kin$ in antitra9#kin$and antise% work #amai$ns has distorted and inated tra9#kin$estimates, whi#h are already di9#ult to )uanti"y&2

2-Ibid, 20&24:eran, abve n 11, -4&2@a#innon, above n , 2&26'urner, above n @, 17&27Ibid, 6&

28Day Eevy and ye Dakobsson, *(bolitionist "eminism as atriar#hal #ontrol5 !wedishunderstandin$s " rostitution and tra9#kin$+


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(s a result, it is )uite aarent that there are le$itimate ar$uments "or,but stron$er ar$uments a$ainst, the imlementation o" the !wedishmodel& /rom the vanta$e oint o" radi#al "eminists, su#h as Catharinea#kinnon, the #riminalisation o" male #lients is ne#essary to #ounteratriar#hal ower stru#tures, whilst "rom the vanta$e o" liberal "eminists,

this aroa#h unustiably "ails to take into a##ount the voi#e and a$en#yo" se% workers, and #onates rostitution with tra9#kin$&

Part (# $valuatin% the Liberal Feminism Approach

(!" &he Liberal Feminism Approach de'ned

:e"ore addressin$ the #riti)ues o" liberal "eminism, it is essential toanalyse this aroa#h a##ordin$ to the same #riteria used a$ainst radi#al"eminism, namely5 lan$ua$e ori$ins and urose&

Mnlike radi#al "eminism, liberal "eminists di.erentiate in their use o"

terminolo$y between se% work, rostitution, and se% tra9#kin$& (se%lanation, liberal authors use the term Fse% workerG when re"errin$ to aerson who #onsents to workin$ in the se% industry and use Ftra9#kin$vi#timG or Fse% slaveG when the erson has not #onsented to workin$ inthe se% industry&-0'he use o" this lan$ua$e ree#ts the bias o" liberal"eminists towards a arti#ular understandin$ o" se% and rostitutionessentially one that rivile$es the #onsent and a$en#y o" se% workers&Cru#ially, this is an understandin$ that has been #riti)ued by radi#al"eminists and will be dis#ussed "urther in the ne%t se#tion&

'he ori$ins o" the liberal "eminism erse#tive on se% work are si$ni#ant

be#ause they rovide an insi$ht into this aroa#h+s rationale "or thele$alisation o" rostitution& 'he liberal "eminism osition on se% workemer$ed "rom se% workersP ri$hts or$anisations in the 180s& It has as itsideolo$i#al underinnin$, the liberal ideals o" individualism, e)uality o"oortunity, and the "ree market,G whi#h these "eminists ar$ue should notbe dis#onne#ted "rom somethin$ as basi# and natural as se%ual li"e&-1'hus, the liberal "eminism ar$ument imlies that there is nothin$ wron$with rostitution that is not also wron$ with other "orms o" work&-2/undamental to this imli#ation is the belie" that rostitutes have a$en#y,and there"ore should be able to en$a$e in their work without hindran#e"rom the law& 'hus, the rst rationale "or le$alisation is that the law should

lay an emowerin$ role "or se% workers that #hoose to ursue it&

'he se#ond rationale "or le$alisation is an e#onomi# one& Eiberal "eministsidenti"y rostitution as the sale o" se%ual servi#es motivated bye#onomi#$ain&--/rom this vanta$e oint, rostitution is analo$ous to any other#ontra#t a arty may enter into "or a benet, with ea#h arty tryin$ tostrike the best deal&-4($ain, the assumtion that the woman is able to#onsent in #hoosin$ rostitution is #ru#ial to the ar$ument that it is a valid

-0'urner,above n @, --1:eran, above n 11, -1&-2

:eran, above n 11, -0&--Ibid, -1&-4Ibid&



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#ontra#t& Bn that basis, the se#ond rationale "or le$alisation is that the lawshould treat rostitution as an ordinary business transa#tion, where thestate has the same interest in rostitution as it has in any other #ontra#t,and may re$ulate it a##ordin$ly&-@

'o #omlete this analysis, it is instru#tive to address the urosiveintention o" liberal "eminism, whi#h e%lains its suort o" le$alisation&/undamentally, liberal "eminists romote oli#ies and laws that theybelieve will le$itimise se% work and desti$matise se% workers, whilstromotin$ the workin$ #onditions o" se% workers& 'o a#hieve thesere"orms, liberal "eminists ar$ue that it is not the behaviour o" male #lientsthat needs to be #han$ed #han$e needs to be made to bad laws that#riminalise rostitution and en$ender ne$ative so#ial oinions o" se%workers and se% work&-6I" there is any inherent harm in bein$ a rostitute,su#h harms are a result o" so#ietal reudi#e and the nonle$al status o"rostitution& 'hus, liberal "eminists advo#ate "or le$alisation be#ause itserves to le$itimise rostitution as a ro"ession and works to #ombat thesti$mas and stereotyes about the se% industry that ermeate so#iety&-7

(!( $valuatin% the Liberal Feminism Approach

I" the le$alisation aroa#h o" rostitution advo#ated by liberal "eminists isto be #onvin#in$, it needs to be able to de"end itsel" a$ainst the #riti#ismsthat are levelled a$ainst it by radi#al "eminists& In this #ase, there are two5rstly, radi#al "eminists #hallen$e the liberal "eminist notion o" "reedom o"#hoi#e, ar$uin$ that women are #oer#ed into be#omin$ rostitutes ratherthan "reely #hoosin$ it and "urthermore, that liberal "eminism wron$ly

dis#ounts the atriar#hal so#ial reality that stru#tures se%ual relationsbetween men and women&

(!(!" Assumption o+ Freedom o+ Choice

/undamentally, radi#al "eminists #hallen$e the liberal "eminist notion o""reedom o" #hoi#e, ar$uin$ that women are #oer#ed into be#omin$rostitutes rather than "reely #hoosin$ it& 'his is a si$ni#ant #riti#ism o"the liberal "eminist erse#tive, be#ause as e%lained above, theresumtion o" a$en#y is #ru#ial to the liberal "eminist+s rationale thatrostitution should be le$alised& (s e%lanation o" the #riti#ism, radi#al

"eminists ar$ue that women in rostitution are #omelled by their so#ial#ir#umstan#es into rostitution, and there"ore believe that theinvolvement o" women in rostitution is always non#onsensual&-8(sa#innon uts it, I" rostitution is a "ree #hoi#e, why are the womenwith the "ewest #hoi#es most o"ten "ound doin$ itRG-Hadi#al "eministsalso #ite studies to #orroborate this sentiment, in#ludin$ one that has

-@Ibid&-6arni issil and aureen 3avey, * 'he rostitution 3ebate in /eminism+


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"ound that ei$htyve to ninetyve er#ent o" rostitutes want to leavethe industry, but do not see leavin$ as an otion&40

otwithstandin$ the "or#e o" a#innon+s ar$ument, a number o")ualiers to her #riti#ism #an be made& /irstly, it is imortant to note that

whilst liberal "eminists ar$ue "or the ossibility o" a$en#y in rostitution,they are not dismissin$ the "a#t that "or those women in se% work who doe%erien#e "or#e, "raud, or #oer#ion, #onsent is "undamentally ne$ated& 41oreover, the #riti#ism by radi#al "eminism is itsel" based on thetautolo$i#al assertion that #onsent is never ossible in rostitution& !u#han assertion raises its own roblems, the most si$ni#ant o" those bein$that it i$nores the testimony o" se% workers who #laim that they indeed dohave the ability to #onsent& 'his "orm o" testimony "rom many se% workersis mu#h more re#on#ilable with the liberal "eminism aroa#h, whi#hviews se% work as an o##uational #hoi#e amon$ other $endered anddis#riminated "orms o" work available "or women&42

'he se#ond "ailure o" the radi#al "eminism #riti#ism is its imli#ation that,"or those se% workers who la#k other otions in their #hoi#e o" work,#onsent to rostitution is ne$ated&4-'his reasonin$ is "undamentallyawed when one #onsiders that the #hoi#e between e%loitative labourand overty is a #hoi#e that billions o" eole, men and women, se%workers and "a#tory workers, must make& 'he re"usal o" radi#al "eministsto believe in the #onsent o" se% workers "ails to understand the motivationo" su#h women who, whilst they would rather not be rostitute,nevertheless re"er rostitution to overty& (s ishka Jora uts it, F/ew

se% workers are attra#ted by *e%it strate$ies+ or *diversion ro$rammes+&'hey hate bein$ lowaid, disara$ed, disrese#ted #leaners, nannies andmaidsS'hey don+t want to be oorer a$ain&G44'his is a$ain re#on#ilablewith liberal "eminism, whi#h a$rees that women are #onstrained byoverty and ob dis#rimination, but that se% work is simly ano##uational #hoi#e amon$ other $endered and dis#riminated "orms o"work available "or women&4@

(!(!( %norin% Patriarch*

'he se#ond maor #riti#ism o" the liberal "eminism aroa#h by radi#al

"eminists is its "ailure to a#knowled$e that rostitution ree#ts the broaderroblem o" male domination over women in so#iety& 'his is an imortant#riti#ism be#ause, as stated above, liberal "eminists ar$ue that it is not thebehaviour o" male #lients that needs to be #han$ed, but rather bad lawsthat sti$matise and restri#t the a$en#y o" se% workers&46oreover, liberal"eminism does not #riti)ue or analyse the stru#tural #onditions that

40a#kinnon, above n ,41:eran, above n 11, 4&42issil and 3avey, above n -6, 6&4-'urner, above n @, @&44ishka Jora, * (ustralia and the !wedish odel o" rostitution >

htt5??david#ollard&wordressom?2014?04?02?australiaandtheswedishmodelo"rostitution?A4@issel and 3avey, above n -6, 6&46issel and 3avey, above n -6, 7&



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rodu#e $ender ine)uality in the #onte%t o" rostitution, and its urose isnot to #han$e $ender stru#tures throu$hout so#iety, rather, its $oals areto re"orm the ine)uities o" bad laws&47

/or radi#al "eminists, it is a "undamental aw not to see the e%isten#e and

revalen#e o" rostitution as a symtom o" the broader ine)uality thate%ists in a atriar#hal so#iety& 'hese "eminists ar$ue that the very idea o"buyin$ se% is ine%tri#ably linked to a system o" male ower thatreresents Fthe absolute embodiment o" atriar#hal male rivile$eG48oreover, rostitution romotes male domination by #ommodi"yin$"emale bodies "or male use, makin$ #lear womenPs status as roerty&4Ee$alisation there"ore is seen as a #onrmation o" these oressive$ender norms by #ondonin$ the atriar#hal ri$ht o" men to ur#hase awoman+s se%uality&

otwithstandin$ this #onvin#in$ #riti#ism, there are two bases on whi#hliberal "eminism has de"ended its omission o" atriar#hal rivile$e& /irstly,liberal "eminists ar$ue that the #onstraint o" #hoi#es that many womene%erien#e in their ourney to be#omin$ a se% worker is not simly aree#tion o" a atriar#hal so#iety& Whilst many liberal "eminists #on#edethat women $enerally #hoose rostitution when "a#ed with no better#areer alternatives,@0a rostitutePs limited nan#ial alternatives is notsymtomati# o" women+s subordination by men, but rather the oressive"or#e o" so#ial #onditions that o.er some individuals no better otion&/rom this vanta$e oint, se% work is simly an o##uational #hoi#e amon$other $endered and dis#riminated "orms o" work available "or women

based on e#onomi# ne#essity&

'he se#ond de"en#e o" liberal "eminism with rese#t to its omission o"atriar#hy #an be #hara#terised as one o" ruture&@1;ssentially, it #onsistso" turnin$ the onus onto the !wedish model and a##usin$ this aroa#h o"romotin$ atriar#hy& (s e%lanation, Day Eevy and ye Dakobsson ar$uethat advo#ates o" the !wedish model have alied radi#al "eministabolitionism sele#tively and #ir#umstantially to usti"y the disla#ementand #ontrol o" women er#eived to be deviant and disrutive to normativehe$emoni# mas#ulinity&@2'his is a #onvin#in$ ar$ument #onsiderin$ theway that the !wedish model has been rose#uted5 it has been alied

sele#tively to tar$et outdoor rostitution, to Fmoralise and #leanseG theubli# sa#e, whilst i$norin$ indoor rostitution&@- oreover, it is standardra#ti#e to deort mi$rant se% workers with the o9#ial reason5 **!he hasnot maintained?suorted hersel" in an honest manner?way++written onher deortation order& (s Eevy and Dakobsonn ar$ue, this brandin$ o"mi$rant se% workers as *dishonest+ is not #onsistent with a radi#al "eminist

47Ibid48Ibid4Ibid@0'urner, abve n @, 6&@1

'his is a re"eren#e to Da#)ues Ter$Us, de"en#e lawyer&@2Eevy and Dakobsson, above n 28, --4&@-Ibid, --6&

E(W!@172, (dvan#ed Durisruden#e, (ssi$nment


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aroa#h& Hather, it #an be better #hara#terised as the #ulmination o"e.orts by oliti#ians, oli#ymakers, and law en"or#ement, not traditionallyallies o" "eminists, to #ontrol and disemower se% workers&

Kavin$ addressed the #riti)ues ut "orward by radi#al "eminists a$ainst

liberal "eminism+s advo#a#y o" le$alisation, it is aarent that liberal"eminists #an make a number o" #onvin#in$ rebuttals to these er#eivedweaknesses, whilst hi$hli$htin$ a level o" re#on#iliation with the a#tuale%erien#e o" many se% workers that radi#al "eminism #annot a#hieve&

!0 Conclusion

It #an there"ore be seen that the utility o" imlementin$ the !wedishmodel in Queensland is outwei$hed by both the #riti#isms atta#hed to itsadvo#a#y by radi#al "eminists, as well as liberal "eminist+s stron$ de"en#e

o" the status )uo o" le$alisation& /or radi#al "eminists, the !wedisharoa#h is attra#tive when observin$ the rostitution "rom the vanta$eoint o" an outsider lookin$ in, with the overar#hin$ se#tre o" aatriar#hal so#iety in mind& Kowever, "or many #urrent se% workers, thisvanta$e oint is one that i$nores their voi#e, mar$inalises their a$en#y,and distorts their line o" work with human tra9#kin$& 'he liberal "eminismaroa#h, desite its myoi# i$noran#e o" the atriar#hal so#iety, is "armore re#on#ilable with the a#tual e%erien#e o" many se% workersbe#ause it rivile$es the e#onomi# and so#ial emowerment o" se%workers throu$h its advo#a#y o" the le$alisation o" se% work,desti$matisation o" se% workers and imrovement o" workin$ #onditions&

/or radi#al "eminists that #ontinue to suort the imlementation o" the!wedish model, any #han$e "rom the status )uo o" le$alisation inQueensland will most likely need to be based on rhetori# whi#ha#knowled$es the voi#e and a$en#y o" #urrent se% workers&



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Documents

Sex work as Prostitution, Liberal and Radical Approaches to Feminism