Legalising prostitution “grave mistake”

The Icelandic Women’s Rights Association (IWRA) has spoken out against the recent Amnesty International proposal to decriminalise prostitution.

In a strongly worded statement issued last week, the IWRA states that “prostitution is not a profession. Prostitution is abuse, and the selling of people is not consistent with our definition of human rights”.

Amnesty International argues that criminalisation of sex work compounds stigma and discrimination against sex workers and acts as a major barrier to police protection for them.

The IWRA describes decriminalisation as a “grave mistake”.

“If Amnesty International recommends the decriminalization of prostitution, the organization will be promoting amnesty for pimps and johns, while simultaneously trampling on women’s human rights,” the IWRA concludes. “Such a radical change in policy will harm the credibility of Amnesty International and violate the trust we have placed in this organization for decades. This cannot be allowed to happen.”

Other declared opponents to the Amnesty International proposal include the Left-Green Movement (‘Vinstrihreyfingin – Grænt framboð’) political party and Icelandic Foreign Minister, Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson.

The IWRA was established in 1907 and was the first formal organisation of Icelandic women fighting for gender equality in politics and the workplace and equal access to education.