Having spent time off work this year to reflect and try out plenty of new experiences, I had the opportunity to really discern what is the impact I want to be in this world. Repeatedly, the word that stood out to me was privilege. The disparate gap between the privileged and the underprivileged. The more I study and look into this, I see how so much of this difference is rooted spread out across all boundaries of our society today. My own working thesis aside, I have been learning more about communities that are the most vulnerable and susceptible to harm.
For the last three years, I have been part of a group involved in ending commercial sexual exploitation. It’s a divided topic in Canada today: since the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act passed in 2014, there are many that are seeking to repeal the law and also many of us that are trying to educate more about why the decriminalization of the buying of sex can be harmful. A 2013 study of 150 countries from the London School of Economics found that wherever prostitution was legal, sex-trafficking tended to increase, not decrease. Why? Because once something is legal, there is increased demand for it. In Canada, we’ve adopted what is called the Nordic Model, after the law that Sweden passed in 1999 which prohibits the purchase of sex but not the selling of sex. With education and enforcement, the law acts as a deterrent to the buyers of sex. However, in Canada, there has been minimal enforcement; in some cities, it is business as usual.
https://www.facebook.com/buyingsexisacrime/videos/2231839643752607/
What stands out to me at the end of the day is the decriminalization of the buying of sex would mean violence against women. As I reflect on my own learnings this year around the concepts of privilege, this is one that is most dear and near to my heart. Because sexual exploitation isn’t happening just in other developing countries around us, it is happening right here at home. I think the acknowledgment of one’s own privilege is critical. I am well aware of my privilege. And privilege extends beyond race and gender — I reflect on class and upbringing. Privilege is not only things that put someone at a disadvantage, but something that puts one at an advantage. And I’ve learned in the last three years working on this is that sexual exploitation is ultimately a crime of power and privilege. It punishes the vulnerable and rewards the privileged.
Learn more at: www.buyingsexisacrime.org
