Current statistics show that in the US, sex workers range from 1 to 2 million. It is common knowledge that the job of a sex worker is very dangerous. However, there are some people that would say that its dangers could be lessened if sex work is decriminalized. Of course, in the present, a lot of places consider sex work to be illegal.
Nonetheless, decriminalizing sex work has been shown to empower sex workers to have better control over their safety, their client base, and their work. Here is a useful link to explain to you why sex work should be decriminalized.
One of the reasons why sex work should be decriminalized is that criminal laws undermine human rights. Some people choose to become a sex worker for a good number of reasons. For some people, sex work becomes their main source of living; for some people, though, this serves as their temporary source of living. Whatever the reason the sex worker may have, they still need to be treated with dignity and respect.
And yet, criminal laws seem to be going in the other direction and do not treat them as such. According to such laws, sex workers are but criminals who do not have the right to make a living for themselves and their families. Check this useful link for these crimes.
By criminalizing sex work, sex workers cannot seek proper access to justice. Sex workers are not given proper access to social and health services. Getting labor protections and workplace rights are also stripped from the sex worker. They are also vulnerable to arrest. By treating sex workers as lesser humans, their human rights are undermined.
By decriminalizing sex work, the cases of police violence and abuse will go down. The police have been shown to be the number perpetrators of violence and abuse against sex workers. Unfortunately, they do not get any repercussions and penalties for such crimes. View this useful link to know why such things happen.
In order for sex workers to stop reporting such abuses, the police are so easy to use public humiliation and threats of arrest on them. Though police abuse will not be gone in an instant with sex work decriminalization, it can help sex workers report police abuse without the fear of being arrested.
With sex work decriminalization, access to justice is already within reach for sex workers. Sex workers are usually victims of rape, sexual violence, or any form of violence. View this useful link for some of these cases. With sex work criminalization, sex workers do not feel safe going to the police and reporting their crimes.
Facing job retribution is very common when sex workers will report these crimes. For them, they have the fear of losing custody of their children, losing their lawful employment status, and being arrested.
Sex work decriminalization help sex workers report crimes done to them. Simply put, those committing crimes will face punishment for them. This gives them a sense of justice. For more of the top reasons to decriminalize sex work, you can look at this useful link.