Cordoba, July 6 2011
PRESS RELEASE
The Asociación de Mujeres Meretrices de la Argentina (AMMAR) – Cordoba branch, strongly repudiates the Presidential Decree Nº 936/2011 approved by President Cristina Fernandez yesterday prohibiting “publicity that promotes sexual services in any communication media across the country, with an aim to prevent the crime of trafficking for sexual exploitation and to gradually eliminate all forms of discrimination against women”.
We understand that this clearly punitive measure does nothing except to keep pushing women underground and into the hands of large mafias. If the intention were really to combat these forms of exploitation, the first action to be undertaken would never be to withdraw advertisements about some modalities of sex work from the media. This does nothing but violate the Constitutional right to work (Article 14) and its manifestations as stated by the ILO [1] and agreed to in 2005 by the then President Nestor Kirchner under the Decree Nº 1086/05[2]promoting regulation of this livelihood activity under the formal labour regulation.
We also believe that is measure is highly discriminatory, as sex work is presented as the darkest and most terrible commercial activity, while millions of people around the world are being abused by large commercial empires like sports and cosmetic brands, building companies, etc. It has been widely documented that there are persons who have been trafficked, raped and sold to sweatshops, individual homes as domestic workers, sawmills, agricultural companies and for the brick cutting business. Must advertisements from these multinational corporations also be prohibited? It is widely known that slave and child labour are exploited by the fashion industry.
What are the interests surrounding this serious concern about demeaning women’s bodies? If the concerns are real, why are not the outrages, vulgarities and shameless attitudes aired daily on open air TV, like in Marcelo Tinelli’s show (the most popular in Argentina) punished through the law and with the same energy? Nobody is taking any measures in this regard and that inaction serves an increasingly profitable market well.
Why are measures taken on behalf of women sex workers without consulting those who will be affected? AMMAR, the union representing this activity, has more than 16 years of history and its work is recognized internationally. In Cordoba itself it has more than 700 women as members, women who support their families, feed and educate their children through their work. Is the State going to take care of these families? Are there social policies that will be made available to sex workers?
As AMMAR has been saying for quite a while, the right way of combating trafficking for sex work is to legally regulate the activity of our members, providing them with labour, social and union protection. Harassing these women, who are breadwinners for their families, as if they were criminals, while the real criminal networks continue to operate with the support of strong political and economical actors, is not the solution.
persiguiendo a estas mujeres, sostén de familia, como las verdaderas delincuentes, cuando las redes siguen actuando con el aval de fuertes fuerzas políticas y económicas.
SEX WORK IS NOT A CRIME.
VOLUNTARY SEX WORK DONE BY WOMEN WHO ARE OF LEGAL AGE DOES NOT EQUAL TRAFFICKING OF PERSONS.
TRAFFICKING OF PERSONS IS NOT EXCLUSIVE TO SEX WORK.
For this we demand:
– Human Rights for all.
– Regulating sex work as work.
– Genuine searches for victims of trafficking.
cordobacomunicacion@ammar.org.ar / www.ammar.org.ar / www.redtrasex.org.ar
Facebook: ammar cordoba
[1] International Labour Organization (ILO) –Recognizes sex work as work, with labour rights, and defines a sex worker as “ every person that regularly agrees to have sexual relationships with an undetermined number of individuals, for payment”. [2] National Plan Against Discrimination in Argentina:
Article 18. To promote the passing of a law to protect women sex workers, recognizing their right to retirement and social security.
Article 52. At the national level, to guarantee the right of Association for women sex workers, granting legal recognition to the organizations promoting their protection and advocating for their rights.
Article 201. To implement the necessary legal and institutional mechanisms to properly investigate arbitrary detentions and abuses against women sex workers, punishing those public officers (police, attorney office, judges, etc.) that fail to fulfill their legal obligations.