That sexual services are motivated by economic gains and theorists view that sex trade a analogous to any other contract to that each part attempted to gain the best deal. That sex trade is like any other business transactions. “Where the state has the same interest in prostitution as it has in any other contract, and may regulate it accordingly” (Beran, 2012 p. 32). For example that the state regulate restaurants in promoting safe cooking, hygiene, and advertisement, that the state should do the same in sex industry.
Sex trade workers have develop a organizations and other special interest groups to advocate for themselves. These organization advocate for sex trade workers to gain rights as business women. Organization like Cast Off Your Old Tires (COYOTE) and Dump Obsolete Laws-Prove Hypocrisy Isn’t Necessary (DOLPHIN) work towards these changes and by using women’s own voices to be heard. (Beran, 2012). “The second voice— sex workers and their allies—is louder, commands more media presence, and seems to enjoy more financial support.
It proclaims that prostitution is a woman’s right and a form of productive labor, and that the best way of protecting women in prostitution is to improve their “working conditions. ” Advocates of this model allege that prostitution is part of the service economy, providing sexual services to clients, and that women should be free to hire managers, otherwise known as pimps (Limoncelli, 2009 p. 32) In addition, these sex trade advocates and liberal feminist compare marriage the same as sex trade. As women who marry also contracts her body in the exchange for financial support from her husband.
Liberal Feminist recognizes that there is still economic coercion, that some women a forced into sex trade for other people’s finical gains. In order for prevent this there needs by regulation of the industry. That laws need to be created in order to protect women from violence and coercion (Beran, 2012). In legalizing sex trade there is benefits in protecting women, and create standards for the industry for the women, and men who utilizes the services. “When prostitution is legal and licensed, health standards imposed on the profession could require prostitutes to engage in safe sex and submit to regular testing for disease. (Beran, 2012 p. 35).
This would also protect the workers in not being pressured to have unprotected sex, as they need comply with the new standards. In addition criminalization sex trade has leads to a increase of violence. Because of the fear of being charged, or arrested because of the occupation. In legalizing the sex trade women gain the protection of the law. “Pimps have an interest in keeping prostitution illegal so that prostitutes do not have any legal recourse against men who control and abuse them.
If prostitution were legalized, the government-rather than organized criminals-would control the sex industry” (Beran, 2012 p. 35). In turn women who been arrested and charged for their occupation would have a better chance to obtain another form of work, as their criminal record be expunged. Lastly, liberal feminist believe the legalization would reduce the drug use of women as drug wouldn’t be allowed in the workplace, that the employer would have to provide services to prevent relapse, and compliance to the law.
Drugs could be prohibited in the workplace to accommodate concerns over safety lapses. If drugs were to be used, then provisions would have to be made to ensure that compliance with health and safety standards would continue” (Beran, 2012 p. 35) Radical feminist believe that legalization would make the state the “pimp” because of the taxation they would place on the sex trade workers.
The government would be saying that women are sex objects and can be bought as your property. Prostitution literally exemplifies male domination by commodifying female bodies for male use, making clear women’s status as property” (Beran, 2012 p. 37). Radical feminist want to decriminalize sex trade, and protect and empower women. In criminalizing sex trade make women into criminals and not victims of exploitation, and victimization. In addition criminalization of sex trade does not prevent the oppression of women, but is further alienates and stigmatizes women. Radical feminist see their needs regulation in criminalizing “johns” and “pimps” who exploit women, that (Beran, 2012).
Radical feminist challenge the Liberal feminist view on the legalization of sex trade, but stating “If prostitution is a free choice, why are the women with the fewest choices most often found doing it? ” (Beran, 2012 p. 39). In a recent study, it was reported that 85% to 95% of women involved in the sex industry want to leave, but see not option or have a choice to leave. That survivors of the sex trade work explain ‘disgusting,’ ‘abusive,’ and ‘like rape,’ and [explain] that they learned to cope with it by disassociating themselves from their bodies or by using drugs and alcohol to numb physical and emotion pain (Beran, 2012 p. 1).
Ultimately radical feminist want to eliminate and abolish sex trade, by policies work. This will protect women’s rights over their bodies, empowering women, and reduce the dominance the men have over women. In assessing if the legalization or criminalization of the sex trade is complicated as both the radical and liberal feminist theories but have strong points in protecting women’s’ rights. However I see short term gains in legalizing the sex trade but improving the lives, and working conditions of the workers.
This would allow the decimalize women, and give them a strong voice in advocating for themselves for the changes. While protecting them from violence, and sexual transmitted disease. The legalization of the sex trade does, not protect women from being victims, or oppressed by the male community. Policies need to be in place to protect women and to criminalize male who objectify women, and exploit them is essential in empowering women involved in the sex trade.