Advocates’ Perspectives on Decriminalization and Safety Strategies for Female Sex Workers
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Abstract
Street-level sex workers are at a high risk for physical and sexual violence as a
result of the stigmatization and marginalization of the sex trade industry. This thesis
investigates the perceptions held by Regina sex worker advocates concerning the role of
decriminalization as it relates to the safety of female sex workers. It examines the
advocates’ perceptions on the type and extent of violence experienced by sex workers
and the possible strategies or solutions to increase their safety. The data collected from
eight semi-structured interviews with local advocates was analyzed using Attride-
Stirling’s thematic network analysis. The findings of this research indicate that
Aboriginal women, many of who are struggling with poverty, addictions, and social
exclusion are overrepresented in the Regina sex trade. According to the advocates’
perceptions, Regina sex workers experience high levels of violence on a daily basis. This
research suggests that the physical, sexual, and emotional violence sex workers
experience is part of larger systemic issues that are shaped by colonialism, racism, and
gender inequality. Thus, the advocates interviewed for this project argued in favour of an
alternative regulation approach to sex work in Canada in order to increase the safety of
sex workers and reduce the threat of violence.