Validating Prostitution As "Real Work" Is Ignorant And Harmful
There has been a recent rise in popularity to decriminalize sex work and to elevate it as a legitimate profession. Many advocates of this mindset claim that sex work is a source of empowerment, which allows women to control their bodies on their terms. Ushering it into the legal system would not only allow for their protection from violent clients but would also act as an aid for dealing with STDs. These arguments, however, are harmfully ignorant and based upon flawed data.
Teen Vogue recently released an article calling for a worldwide movement to destigmatize sex work. Titled “Why Sex Work Is Real Work,” the article’s author - South African doctor Tlaleng Mofokeng - claims that sex workers are unfairly criminalized and said criminalization is “a form of violence by governments that contributes to a high level of stigma and discrimination.” Why should the work of call-girls and prostitutes be stigmatized, she asks, while she - someone who advises and deals with sexual health regularly - is accepted by society? Isn’t she, too, technically a sex worker?