Decriminalization, Advocacy
& Law Reform
Why does YSWC support a decriminalization approach to sex work?
We believe in listening to sex workers, supporting body autonomy, and advocating for equal access to human and labour rights for all.
As a member of the Canadian Alliance for Sex Work Law Reform, we support the recommendations to decriminalize sex work and strike down laws that harm sex workers.
News
Yukon government commits to 'full review' of controversial SCAN act
January 4th, 2022.
Aja Mason, Executive Director of the Yukon Status of Women Council, said the act criminalizes prostitution - something she says breaches constitutional rights.
"We see scan as an example of a legislative tool that was developed to use blunt force and ultimately result in further stigmatization, as well as criminalization of folks who do sell and trade sex."
'Safer communities' law hurts vulnerable people, say Yukon advocacy groups joining legal battle
September 3rd, 2021.
Yukon Status of Women Council's executive director, Aja Mason, meanwhile, wrote that SCAN "exemplifies how sex workers are criminalized and stigmatized," noting that the SCAN unit can act on complaints about "prostitution" or "activities related to prostitution" despite the selling of sex not being illegal in Canada.
"This is an egregious misrepresentation of the Canadian Criminal Code and vague language," she wrote.
Sex Worker Human Rights Groups Launch Constitutional Challenge
March 30th, 2021.
The Canadian Alliance for Sex Work Law Reform — an alliance of 25 sex worker rights groups across the country led predominantly by and for sex workers — along with several individual applicants, have filed a Notice of Application seeking to strike down the sex work prohibitions against impeding traffic (s. 213(1)), public communication (s. 213(1.1)), purchasing (s.286.1(1)), materially benefiting (s. 286.2(1)), recruiting (s. 286.3(1)), and advertising (s. 286.4) in the Criminal Code, because they violate sex workers’ constitutional rights to security, personal autonomy, life, liberty, free expression, free association, and equality. Read more..
