Dear Friend,
If there is a moral consensus that treating people as property is wrong, why are we allowing a certain type of servitude to still exist in Canada today?
If we have zero-tolerance attitudes toward domestic violence in our homes and bullying in our schools and workplaces, why have so many Canadians turned a blind eye to a certain type of violence, oppression and dehumanization that still occurs every day across our country?
I’m referring to prostitution. Many seem to regard prostitution through a morally neutral lens as an inescapable fact of social life. “As long as it’s not happening in my backyard, then what goes on between consenting adults is none of my business.”
This attitude needs to change. We must refute the notion that buying sex is an inevitable part of our society. Prostitution is not the world’s oldest profession; it is the world’s oldest oppression. It involves the exploitation of mainly young women, the majority of whom entered prostitution against their will or were forced to sell their bodies for survival. Many are vulnerable because of homelessness, poverty, broken families, history of abuse, addiction, mental illness or racialization.
The culture of prostitution is one of coercion, abuse and violence – and increased demand for paid sex fuels the global problem of human trafficking.
Prostitution is not just a matter of individual choice, and it cannot be viewed through a morally neutral lens. God has created all people
in His image. Such knowledge – that He created our inmost beings – was “too wonderful” for King David (Psalm 139). Should we be any less overwhelmed by this truth? If we believe that we are all equal in dignity and worth, then how we treat each other matters! We are duty-bound and compelled to love, respect and value one another as fellow image-bearers.
Once we truly grasp this, our hearts should grieve at the thought that any person should ever be sold for another’s gratification or profit. Prostitution violates human dignity because, for the most part, it is based on the assumption that men are entitled to buy and exchange women as objects for sexual gratification. It relies on the inequality and subordination of women. That this is still happening in our country should motivate us to fight to put an end to it.
Until very recently, our laws had tried to restrict prostitution by punishing those who were being sold for sex. This approach was ineffective because, as long as there are buyers offering money for sex, pimps and traffickers will continue to exploit women and children for profit. As well, criminalizing prostituted persons further victimizes them and makes it even more difficult for them to exit prostitution.
In 2014, Canada adopted a better way – by passing a law that made it a crime to
buy sex.
The current law makes it a crime to purchase or attempt to purchase sexual services. It punishes the purchasers and suppliers of sexual services – the sex buyers, pimps and traffickers – instead of those who are being sold. Those who are prostituted are considered victims of exploitation and given immunity from criminal penalty.
While these laws are still relatively new in Canada and have not been fully enforced or implemented, other countries that have pioneered this approach have seen a decrease in the demand for paid sex from buyers who are not willing to risk criminal charges and serious jail time. This undermines the work of pimps and traffickers and leads to significant declines in prostitution and sex trafficking.
For many years now, the EFC has been engaged in the national debate about our prostitution laws. The EFC has travelled across the country with Defend Dignity, raising awareness and calling the Church to action. We intervened before the Supreme Court in the
Bedford case, where the previous prostitution laws were challenged. Prior to current laws being passed, we had educated parliamentarians about the realities of prostitution and the need for law reform, and we testified before the Justice Committee and the Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs on the importance of the proposed legislation.
We did all of this because we care deeply about this issue and the people affected – because we envision a Canada where our sons will never grow up believing that they can approach our daughters and offer to pay for sex, and where our daughters will never grow up believing that their bodies can be treated like consumer goods to be bought, sold, or traded. We are passionate about working toward a society that is free from any form of exploitation.
The EFC supports the current laws as a crucial tool in the fight against sexual exploitation in Canada. However, there are groups who want to scrap the current laws. Others are pushing for the decriminalization of the entire industry.
The laws are being challenged on two fronts – in the courts and on the Hill. The EFC is preparing to intervene in the courts. And when the new Parliament conducts their long-overdue review of the current prostitution laws, which was supposed to have taken place in 2019, the EFC will urge MPs to uphold the current laws and to promote strong support for programs that assist people leaving prostitution.
Will you pray for our efforts and consider supporting our work on this issue with a financial gift? With your prayers and your donations, you become an integral part of our work to fight sexual exploitation against women and children in this country. Please help.
Sincerely,
Bruce Clemenger
President