Why Prostitution Should Be Legalised In Sri Lanka 

By Lasantha Pethiyagoda –October 26, 2015

Lasantha Pethiyagoda

There are many reasons which can be considered valid as to why adults do sex work, whether it is their main livelihood in the absence of more “respectable” means, a temporary solution to survive a difficult period, or an opportunity to supplement other income, having aesthetic qualities that are in demand. Some people find that sex work offers better and quicker income and more flexible working conditions.

I will outline some aspects that make the case for legalisation stronger, given that there is much suffering all round due to a lack of it, and indignant howls of protest by duplicitous hypocrites.

There is widespread human trafficking from remote rural areas that invariably punishes victims more than perpetrators. Trafficking is an egregious human rights violation involving coercion of individuals for sexual exploitation or forced labour. If legalised, sex workers can be natural allies in the fight against trafficking, and may be well placed to refer trafficking victims (usually children, widows or adolescents) to appropriate services.

When freed from the threat of criminal penalties, sex workers can organize and collaborate with law enforcement agencies, departments of probation and child care and women’s affairs. Despite this, laws prohibiting the purchase of sexual services are often quite ironically promoted as a successful means to combat human trafficking to cosmopolitan hubs. On the contrary, countries which legalise it have less related crime.

Legalising sex work recognizes the right of people to privacy and freedom from undue state control over sex and sexual expression when it poses no threat to society. The different treatment of sex work from other types of work is an example of governments’ long history of exerting control over bodily autonomy, self-determination of individuals and sexuality.

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