Prostitution
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Prostitution
Prostitution has been viewed by different people differently and this had led to many stereotypes and misconceptions about this whole tenet. Some countries have however taken this issue seriously. Some have banned this form of practice; some are silent while others have legalized it. Some people discuss this from the point of view of their religious inclinations and they say that this is wrong and Almighty does not approve of this therefore they view those engaged in prostitution as total evildoers who are supposed to be shunned and be changed according to the norms and laws of that particular society.
On the other side, some people view this as a way of making money and even though it does not sound morally right for most people it is still wrong but they accommodate it and allow it to happen because they respect that those who engage in it have a right to live a decent life and without engaging in this kind of practice maybe they won’t have anything to live on. Therefore under this basis, it is excused by most people and most governments. However, there is also a third group that views prostitution as a way of being happy, making money, and living a good life. These are the ones who believe prostitution not only makes a person happy but also enhances their sexual skills and thus making them better. Apart from the enhancement of sexual skills they also believe it makes them rich as they make money and therefore to these individuals prostitution is completely okay (Forestiere, 2019). Therefore this paper discusses the legalization of prostitution by different governments.
In the 19th century, men of the upper class were the ones mainly involved in seducing girls and ladies often lower class as well as those of the middle class into prostitution. This however at this time was seen by most people as moral misconduct and it was most of the time discarded. This was even more enhanced by the fact that the poor in the society were pushed to the level of this being the only way to live due to their dire financial situation whereby they had to be dependent on their masters for a way of living. In the past as well we see prostitution and sex workers as ones who were forced into it by conditions placed onto them by the different factors and their masters. One of these situations was that the slaves were taken to America and they had to engage in forced sexual activities which led them to be vulnerable and unable to do anything else. This not only affected them psychologically but also affected them in how they saw the world from then. In Europe, the efforts to legalize prostitution have had negative effects while at the same time have had positive effects. it is also in the same accord that there have been many challenges like the health of the women and fear of getting infected that have raised a lot of questions to countries that have legalized prostitution like Ireland and Norway.
The reason why women get into prostitution can be viewed as the issue of having freedom as advanced by feminism. Therefore most women believing they have control over their bodies and what they can do with their bodies get into prostitution because they believe the term of saying women should not engage in prostitution is from a male side of view. Therefore the issue of getting into feminism can be majorly traced to feministic beliefs and faith that men should no longer control the bodies of women thus they can do anything they want with their bodies (Zilli, 1974). The other major reasons are the financial constraints and the lack of financial base whereby the women can depend on and therefore this becomes the only option. Even though not limited to these two causes and factors there are other reasons why women get into prostitution but they are not as fundamental as these two discussed above (Lutnick, & Cohan, 2009).
Most of the prostitution workers have reported negative experiences with their clients. However, it is not all these negative experiences and encounters that form them but they get to have some wonderful encounters at times and therefore this makes them possible to enjoy their work-life once in a while. Different women have expressed how some men ask them to do things they never even thought they would ever do and due to their desire and the willingness to make money or the conditions that push them to this practice, they go on with doing what they are asked even it still hurts them (Lutnick, & Cohan, 2009). This most of the prostitutes do because there is no chance of meeting the same person another time and therefore there is the relief of not overthinking or re-doing whatever they are asked to do. Most of the people engaged in this have different coping mechanisms as some of them make sure to use protection every time they have sex. Others are always tested about any diseases and keep a close watch over their health which makes them healthy and keeps them going.
Some European countries like Norway and Ireland have made prostitution legal even though there are still bounds to it. The united states of America are yet to make prostitution legal. The debate of legalizing prostitution is happening in so many countries around the world and there are so many factors to be considered before allowing prostitution to be legal. One of them is different types of prostitution and this is indeed a consideration when it comes to the legality of prostitution.
In conclusion therefore this is an on-going debate among many people and there is a very wide view when it comes to prostitution and therefore the needs and the issues at hand should be considered in deciding the freedom of the people as they want it.
References
Forestiere, A. (2019). To Protect Women, Legalize Prostitution | Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review. Harvardcrcl.org. https://harvardcrcl.org/to-protect-women-legalize-prostitution/#:~:text=The%20most%20well%2Dknown%20country
Lutnick, A., & Cohan, D. (2009). Criminalization, legalization or decriminalization of sex work: what female sex workers say in San Francisco, USA. Reproductive health matters, 17(34), 38-46.Mathieson, A., Branam, E., & Noble, A. (2015). Prostitution policy: legalization, decriminalization and the Nordic model. Seattle J. Soc. Just., 14, 367.
Miller, C. R., & Haltiwanger, N. (2004). Prostitution and the legalization/decriminalization debate. Geo. J. Gender & L., 5, 207.Zilli, M. C. (1974). Feminism and the Legalization of Prostitution: How Far down the River. Iustitia, 2, 39.
