Prostitution in Canada

1779 Words4 Pages

Prostitution in Canada has had a long history. Prostitution is the exchange of money in return for sexual favors. The most commonly thought of form of prostitution is street-based but this makes up a portion of the trade. Other forms include escort services and brothels, to name a few. Prostitution has been legal in Canada for hundreds of years, as Canada inherited their laws from England, but there have been several laws aimed at preventing it. These laws include prohibitions on brothels, communication in public for the purpose of prostitution, and making a living off of prostitution. Therefore, while prostitution itself is not illegal, it is very difficult to engage in it without breaking the law. This leads to a lot of misunderstanding, as many men are not aware that these various laws exist, only knowing that prostitution itself is legal. In support of this, Wortley, Fischer, and Webster (2002) found that 17% of Ontario men who had been arrested under the communication or solicitation law in Ontario were apparently unaware that it was illegal to talk to a prostitute about buying sex (Morton 2012).

For example, many citizens of Canada are unaware that speaking for the purpose of arranging prostitution is illegal. This causes sex workers to not have proper time to assess their clientele in the street and make a proper decision about whether they wish to engage with them. This leads to dangerous situations for the sex workers. Another difficult law surrounding prostitution would be concerning brothels. Brothels are technically illegal although many times they operate openly and freely without any interruption, which furthers confusion. Furthermore, any establishment that is used on a frequent basis for prostitutio...

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...Boris B. Gorzalka. "Attitudes, Beliefs, And Knowledge Of Prostitution And The Law In Canada." Canadian Journal Of Criminology & Criminal Justice 54.2 (2012): 229-244.

O'Doherty, Tamara. "Criminalization And Off-Street Sex Work In Canada." Canadian Journal Of Criminology & Criminal Justice 53.2 (2011): 217-245.

Sangster, Joan. "Regulating Girls and Women: Sexuality, Family, and the Law in Ontario, 1920-1960." (2001).

Seshia, Maya. "Naming Systemic Violence In Winnipeg's Street Sex Trade." Canadian Journal Of Urban Research 19.1 (2010): 1-17.

Shaver, Frances M. The Canadian Encyclopedia. 27 October 2011. 18 March 2014 .

Young, Alan. "The state is still in the bedrooms of the nation: the control and regulation of sexuality in Canadian criminal law." The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality 17.4 (2008).

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