| 'Not for Sale' | | Print | |
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Margaret Brown, of Dundee Women's Aid was last night's speaker when the group began an important debate, which it is hoped will be addressed by all the groups within HSS in order to formulate a humanist viewpoint. The subject, euphemistically called 'the oldest profession' is now beginning to be recognised as a crime against women. Margaret is a training co-ordinator with Dundee Women's Aid. As such, she was able to enlighten the group on a subject which, euphamistically called 'the oldest profession' is now, rightly being regarded as a crime against women. Her argument and examples were wide ranging, with handouts of support: Donna M. Hughes wrote, "Prostitution is not natural or inevitable; it is abuse and exploitation of women and girls that results from structural inequality between women and men on a world scale. Prostitution commondifies women and girls and markets their bodies for whatever acts men have sexualized and want to buy." This statement was amply illustrated by the showing of a 20 minute DVD entitled 'Not for Sale' in which a variety of women put forward their experiences and points of view. Some were ex-prostitutes willing to provide first hand experience: of the need to regain a personal identiy, lost during long years of being treated as a piece of meat with no acknowledged right of feelings; of how they did not choose the profession but responded to a harsh reality, "if I chose at all, I chose to live"; of how a brutal brothel-keeper in Edinburgh insisted on sex without condoms for favoured clients, and the sacking of girls who did not comply. These personal testaments were given alongside statements from women who had in various ways tried to expose the abuse of women as the gender based violation of human rights which it is. Among them was an Icelandic politician who received personal death threats, as did her daughters, for raising the lid on the subject; others said that continuing fighting in the European Parliament for equality in matters of pay when this far greater gender inequality existed unopposed showed a woeful lack of sensitivity. They addressed those in the world who would take a 'liberal' view, and legalise the practice of men buying women for sex by condemning this for the legalising of abuse. It was pointed out that there would be no seemingly valid argument for the provision of exit programmes in such circumstances, and other countries might follow the practice of The Netherlands in demanding that a long-term out of work air hostess consider a job in a brothel or forfeit her dole. Margaret Brown spoke to the fact that the problem lay in the education of men. If there was no demand, there would be no abuse. Sweden, which now prosecutes men who pay for, or try to pay for sex, has the lowest recorded number of prostitutes; a fraction of those in neighbouring Norway which has not implemented the same laws. In Scotland men will now be given a warning if they are seen to be negotiating a payment for sex, and if they are caught a second time, will be threatened with a letter sent to their home address asking them to attend the police station. Gradually, it is coming to be recognised that the use of women's bodies for male sexual gratification, excused by the fact that a payment is made (not necessarily to the woman) is not just simply another gender based denial of an individual's human rights, but that it is the very worst example of this. |
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