REAL WOMEN OF CANADA believes that prostitution, defined as the selling of sexual activity for money, has many harmful effects on the prostitutes themselves, clients and their families, the business milieu in which this occurs, and society as a whole.

      As a prostitute sells sex as a service to a customer, the dignity of women and men is demeaned, allowing the customer to buy the right to treat another person as an object.  It has nothing to do with love or a personal relationship, and removes the dignity and bonding of the sexual act from its context of a loving relationship.

     As well, prostitution adversely affects the environment in which its solicitation occurs, whether on downtown streets or in residential areas.  Neighbourhood residents are made fearful of walking their streets, and neighbourhoods are no longer safe for children or youth, who may become targets for such solicitation.  Property values drop, traffic problems develop and the area often becomes noisy and dangerous.  The prevalence of alcohol, drug abuse and crime amongst pimps and prostitutes is also a danger to themselves and others.

     Prostitutes are extremely vulnerable members of society, open to personal and sexual degradation, exploitation and violence from their customers, pimps, and businesses from whose premises they work.  They have no security or job training to sustain them in later years, and often their physical and mental health is at risk.

     We are particularly concerned about the effect of prostitution on young children and teenagers, giving them the impression that sexuality is merely recreation and sport, and not a responsible, loving expression best obtained within the desirable and permanent context of a conjugal relationship.  It encourages teenagers to view prostitution as a temporary way of financial survival, rather than working to acquire marketable work skills through the more permanent route of education and employment.

     These vulnerable children are often ìthrow-away kidsî and we must increase the capacity of rehabilitative centres to rescue them.

REAL WOMEN OF CANADA recommends:

1.  Since the act of prostitution itself is not an offense under the Criminal Code, the latter should be amended to prohibit prostitution itself, as well as prohibit the activities surrounding prostitution; i.e. keeping a common bawdy house, living off the avails of prostitution, etc.

2.  Strict penalties for those who use children as prostitutes.

     We are also concerned that measures be adopted to rehabilitate those men and women currently working as prostitutes.  Sheltered housing, counseling, job training and education are all necessary to help these persons regain a sense of dignity, self-esteem and purpose in their lives, and return them to the mainstream of society.