A Coalition of international sex workers’ unions and gay rights organizations has supported the decriminalization of sex work in Malta.
The Maltese government is currently backed by the International Committee of Sex Workers in Europe and is globally recognized as a leading country in protecting LGBT people.
In a joint statement, these organizations express their support for the Maltese government in its quest for legal reform that will ensure full protection of the rights of sex workers.
“Globally, sex workers and their organizations demand decriminalization, the right to self-determination and self-organization. “Our organizations uphold the principles that laws and policies affecting marginalized communities should be developed with the significant involvement of those communities, ensuring that their views and demands are heard,” the joint statement said.
Organizations argue that policies criminalizing sex workers, migrants, and their work lead to more violence and exploitation. “These types of repressive environments are constantly undermining access to decent work and justice and leading to increased human rights violations.”
According to the Coalition of International Trade Unions for Sex Workers and Gay Rights Organizations, the so-called The Swedish model for sex workers in countries such as Sweden, Norway, France, Ireland and Northern Ireland is a path to violence and infectious diseases for sex workers.