On 12th July 2021, the European Members of Parliament comprising the Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee voted on amendments related to defining gender-based violence as a novel criminal area. The International Committee on the Rights of Sex Workers in Europe (ICRSE) alongside with 11 other European networks came up with a common letter addressed to the Members of Parliament, in which 4 amendments were pointed out that restrict the possibility of sex workers to give consent and was given consideration during the vote in the European Parliament.
The rejected amendments defined the sexual act between consenting adults as an act of crime, providing the act is a subject to financial transaction, by which the most fundamental concept of consent was overlooked. Such an exemption would result in legal instability which would further negatively affect the sexual violence debate. The consent is a central concept not only in defining sexual violence and rape as codified in the Istanbul Convention, but it is also a central concept for sex workers.
For sex workers, consent means. consenting to the terms and conditions under which sex services are provided. In case the consent is violated under such terms and conditions, the incident should be defined as rape or sexual assault, and sex workers must be entitled to access justice without being judged, stigmatized or discriminated against. Equating sex work with sexual exploitation falters people’s ability to make informed decisions about their private and sex life. The International Committee on the Rights of Sex Workers in Europe, in which STAR-STAR is a member, firmly believes that all people should be entitled to the right to make informed decisions about their private and sex life.
The letter which was addressed to the European Members of Parliament by the International Committee on the Rights of Sex Workers in Europe (ICRSE) and the 11 other European networks can be read here.