Opinie. Aan rechten is niets liberaals. Over vrouwenhandelslachtoffers en geëmancipeerde sekswerkers

Samenvatting

Marjan Wijers Rights are not liberal On victims of the trade in women and emancipated sex workers A central theme in the debates leading to the decriminalisation of the sex industry in the Netherlands was the improvement of the legal and social position of prostitutes and the protection of their rights. Eight years after the abolition of the ban on brothels, evaluations show that their position is still weak and has hardly improved. A major cause is the fact that the authorities continued to concentrate on what they have always done – regulation, repression and public order –, while failing to take into account the needs and interests of sex workers and actively invest in their (labour) emancipation. Still, this is a key factor to a successful implementation of the new law. Without the willingness to invest in the rights of sex workers, combating violence and abuse in prostitution as well as the effective regulation of the industry is doomed to fail.