Where Is Sex Work legal
What are the Prostitution laws in your Country/State?
Table of Contents
Is Sex Work legal in my country?
Some countries have found ways to embrace the Sex industry through a variety of legal frameworks, including regulated legalization which usually targets the clientele rather than sex workers while giving sex workers a politicized and stigmatized identity.
This list serves only as a brief laymans guide and is subject to change at any time, please check with your local authority for further confirmation and specific laws in your area.
Here is a brief summary of some of the prostitution “frameworks” found around the world.
The Decriminalization model
Overview:
Decriminalization of prostitution abolishes laws that prohibit selling, buying, organizing and soliciting sexual services.
Many human rights organizations and sex worker advocates identify it as the safest legal approach to keep workers safe and reduce exploitation.
Sex workers typically have the same rights and benefits as all other tax paying citizens, ie pensions, maternity leave, health insurance/care, holidays, and unemployment support.
SW’ers can decline clients or refuse to perform certain acts & stop at any point.
Countries where prostitution is decriminalized
Australia – NSW (Partial), Victoria (Partial), NT, Queensland (2024)
Belgium (2022)
New Zealand (2003)
Countries which are undergoing decriminalization
South Africa – A decrim bill is currently in progress for the entire country.
Nigeria – A decrim bill is currently in progress for the entire country.
Countries where prostitution is legalized
Overview:
In countries that embrace “Legalization”, buying and selling sexual services is not only legal but also regulated by the government.
In some of these countries, operating brothels and soliciting sex from a sex worker is also legal.
The regulations vary from country to country and can include requiring sex workers to register or restricting sex work in a particular region/town/city and/or requiring permits.
Examples:
Angola, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Cameroon, Colombia, Ecuador, Equitorial Guinea, Eritrea, Gabon, Ghana, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Japan (except vaginal), Lebanon, Liberia, Mauritius, Mozambique, Netherlands, Panama, Peru, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Switzerland, Tanzania, Turkey, United States of America – (Nevada only), Uruguay, Venezuela
The Abolitionism model
Overview:
The most globally prevalent sex work law framework is abolitionism.
This approach is often described as the middle ground between criminalization and legalization.
Under this philosophy, both buying and selling sexual services is legal, but “to prevent exploitation of the sex worker,” the World Population Review said, “public solicitation; the operation of brothels; and forms of ‘organization’ such as pimping, procuring, and forced prostitution are all usually prohibited.”
Examples:
Algeria, Argentina, Austria, Bahamas, Benin, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Honduras, India, Kenya, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Luxembourg, Macau, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Malta, Monaco, Namibia, Nicaragua, North Macedonia, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Senegal, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Sudan, Spain, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Zambia,
in England, Southern Ireland, Wales, Scotland
It is illegal for individuals under the age of 18 years to sell sex.
It is legal to engage in the simple act of exchanging sexual activities for payment.
It is illegal to advertise yourself on phone boxes.
It is illegal to approach people in public asking them for sex, also known as Kerb crawl.
It is illegal to own or manage a brothel.
It is illegal to exploit a prostitute by way of force, threats or deception.
It is illegal to traffic someone to or around the UK to engage in sexual activities for payment.
Abolitionism in some states/territories:
Australia – (WA, Tasmania), El Salvador (local municipal ordinances), Mexico (13 States), Nigeria (South only)
The Neo-abolitionism (Nordic) model
Overview:
Neo-abolitionism is yet another approach to sex work law, also known as the Swedish, Nordic, or End Demand model and it’s purpose is to stamp out the demand for sex workers.
It originated in Sweden in 1999 and considers sex work to be violence against the workers, it does not believe that sex workers have a choice in the matter.
Under neo-abolitionist laws, sex workers are considered legally blameless, while pimps, brothels and clients are prosecuted.
Examples:
Belize, Canada, France, Iceland, Israel, Northern Ireland, Norway, Sweden
Conclusion
Having read through all this, you’re probably as confused as most of us are, basically there are only 3 sex work categories – Illegal, Legalised and Decriminalized.
The “abolition models” are just other forms of “Legalisation” which in essence are just other ways to control sex work, keep it off the streets, kill the demand and keep workers quiet.
Note: Legalisation and Decriminalization don’t mean what you think they mean
Legalisation and Decriminalisation don’t mean what most people interpret them to mean –
Ask a layman and they tell you that Legalisation means that sex work is free from prosecution, when in fact it’s Decriminalisation they are reffering to!
This only makes discussions and educating the public even more difficult when they don’t understand the terminology, even sex worker orgs often get the terminology wrong.
The onus is on the reader to educate themselves and abide by the current laws in their region.
What Countries Are Sex Toys illegal In?
The question of where sex toys are illegal comes down to a few things, most commonly Islamic law and obscene object laws, it’s always best to check ahead if you aren’t sure.
Generally speaking if you are travelling to an Islamic country which won’t allow you to bring alcohol into the country, you can bet your “toys” won’t be welcome either.
Countries where it’s illegal to sell and/or possess sex toys are:
Africa – Egypt, Mauritius, Malawi, Senegal, Ethiopia and Zimbabwe.
Europe – Andorra, Albania, Lichtenstein, and Moldova.
Oceania – Indonesia, Maldives, Malasia and Fiji.
North America – Alabama, Mississipi, Texas (USA), Cuba, Dominican Republic and Cayman Islands.
Asia – U.A.E, Saudi Arabia, India, Vietnam and Thailand.
South America – Cambodia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
Have an awesome day!
Julian K
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