ACDP says legalising prostitution has less to do with the human rights of women trapped in slavery

African Christian Democratic Party
Media Release

ACDP Parliament
Cheryllyn Dudley, MP
10th June 2009

ACDP says legalising prostitution has less to do with the human rights of women trapped in slavery and more to do with the multibillion dollar industry that it is globally.

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ACDP MP, Cheryllyn Dudley, today called the National Assembly to debate on the following statement:

“Prostitution, sex tourism, trafficking in women and other such practices reduce women to sexual commodities and have a devastating impact on women in developing countries, and oppressed groups in developed countries. Decriminalization causes an increase in these practices to meet the demand created by a legalized sex industry.”

Presently opinion is being gathered by the SA Law Commission on the attitude of South Africans on this issue and we know that there is pressure being exerted to ensure that prostitution is decriminalized before 2010. Not even two years after Germany was announced as the host nation for the 2006 Fifa Football World Cup final, prostitution was legalized in preparation for the tournament. And now South Africa appears to be following suit.

An overwhelming body of International evidence shows that the terrible abuse and exploitation of women and children trapped in prostitution does not decline where there is decriminalisation, and in fact the opposite is true.

The ACDP believes that legalising prostitution has less to do with the human rights of women trapped in slavery and more to do with the multibillion dollar industry that it is globally’.

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For more information please contact:
Cheryllyn Dudley, MP (ACDP Whip): 082 890 6520
ACDP Media Liaison: Liziwe Ndalana
Tel: 021 403 3307/ 072 103 8899

lndalana@parliament.gov.za