Amnesty urges decriminalisation of sex work

The long-standing battle to legalise adult prostitution got a boost following Amnesty International’s support for the decriminalisation of sex work in South Africa. A report on the IoL site notes that South African sex workers have welcomed Amnesty’s call. They have urged the South African Law Reform Commission to make a recommendation to change the current legislation soon. Policy development and advocacy specialist at Sonke Gender Justice, Dr Marlise Richter, said they were happy Amnesty had joined the fight to help encourage the government to take its call seriously. ‘We don’t think that decriminalisation will solve everything in one swoop. But it would be getting us one step closer to that change that is so desperately needed,’ the report quotes her as saying.