The need to change the prostitution law that had been in effect in Canada since the 19th century was widely discussed in 2007, when the press covered the case of Canadian farmer Robert Picton. He was found guilty of brutally murdering six prostitutes from Vancouver's East Side. He fed the women's remains to pigs.
Some time later, three activists, themselves former prostitutes, appealed to the Ontario Supreme Court to officially legalize brothels and prostitution. They complained that the existing restrictions not only violate women's right to freedom and safety but also drive them onto the streets.
Three years later, Canadian prostitutes celebrated a victory – the judges unanimously ruled that laws banning prostitution violated the country's Constitution. This allowed sex workers what they had only dreamed of before, namely to hire security guards, drivers and accountants. In Canada, people began to say that prostitution would soon be legalized, as had previously been done in the Netherlands and Germany.
But the Canadian authorities and Prime Minister Stephen Harper personally intervened. The Conservative Party, led by the head of government, demanded even greater protection for women's work. They were supported by the Liberals, the main opposition Social Democratic party (New Democratic Party), as well as numerous religious organizations and feminists who stated that providing sexual services for money is a form of sexual violence against women.
The law drafted through joint efforts, the so-called Bill C-36, which came into force on November 6 last year, turned out to be highly controversial. It was decided to punish not the sellers, but the buyers of sexual services and intermediaries. Thus, clients of prostitutes face a large fine and up to five years in prison, while pimps can get up to ten years in prison. That is, following the basic law of economics, the authorities decided that if demand is destroyed, supply will naturally wither away.
Sex workers, in turn, are allowed not only to engage in prostitution but also to advertise their services. However, not everything is so simple here. Newspapers and websites that agree to place such advertisements face a substantial fine. True, not everyone was afraid of the ban: the editorial board of Toronto's Now magazine announced that it would continue to place erotic service ads. Especially since among them there are quite unusual ones. For example, a student under the pseudonym Red Sexy Ginger announces that she loves role-playing and enjoys talking about politics or science fiction in a hot bath. An intellectual conversation with sex as a bonus will cost 240 dollars per hour.
The law prohibits brothels, massage parlors, and escort agencies. Previously, only in Toronto there were more than three thousand such establishments, earning over three thousand dollars daily and not paying taxes.
Violators face large fines and prison terms. However, massage parlors still advertise their services online. Sex workers, whose safety has so concerned the Canadian authorities, are prohibited from gathering together on the street, seeking clients in public places, negotiating prices with them, and using pimps' services.
Prostitutes complain that their work has become even more life-threatening. If earlier they could refuse unwanted clients, now demand has fallen and they have to agree to any conditions. A campaign in support of prostitution has unfolded in the Canadian media. At the instigation of journalists, groups advocating for the legalization of this business have emerged in the country. Sex workers have united with representatives of the LGBT community and taken to the streets with placards reading 'There are no bad prostitutes – there are bad laws,' 'Prostitutes and lesbians, unite in the fight for your rights!'.
TV presenters sympathetically listen to the stories of sex workers, their stories are published in newspapers. Canadians have learned that domestic sex workers, unlike their German and Dutch colleagues, have no trade union, but they have their own internet portals where they communicate, exchange experiences, and share impressions of clients. After a failed date, some men risk being blacklisted.
According to prostitutes, almost all of them have a higher education, entered prostitution voluntarily and are generally satisfied with their lot. They earn about 40 thousand dollars a year. The most expensive in the business are escort services (300 dollars per hour), the cheapest are street prostitutes (50-100 dollars per hour). Sex in a brothel costs 200-250 dollars per hour. Prostitutes serving clients in their own apartments earn up to 280 dollars per hour.
A survey by the Canadian Institute of Health Research confirmed that 70 percent of prostitutes are satisfied with their work and life, 82 percent believe their work is well paid. It also found that the typical Canadian prostitute is an unmarried young woman aged 22 to 25. They enter the business at 16-20 years old.
Bill C-36 was drafted by Conservative Party MP Joy Smith, who thus decided to eradicate prostitution and human trafficking in the country. She relied on the experience of Sweden and New Zealand.
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And Experience, the Son of Hard Mistakes