Policies on prostitution in Sweden and in the Netherlands
Author
Pedersen, Karoline Bech
Term
4. term
Publication year
2016
Submitted on
2016-07-29
Abstract
Prostitution is widespread globally and has long been debated in terms of abolition versus legalization. Evidence indicates that women predominantly sell sexual services and men predominantly buy them, and policies are often shaped by efforts to combat human trafficking. This thesis examines which policy yields the best outcomes for women involved in prostitution through a comparative case study of Sweden, which criminalizes sex buyers and decriminalizes sellers, and the Netherlands, which legalizes and regulates prostitution. The analysis applies Carol Lee Bacchi’s “rethinking social problems” and “What is the problem represented to be?” approaches, alongside two feminist perspectives—the sex work and neo-abolitionist frameworks—to explore how each policy frames the issue, the assumptions they rest on, and their effects on protection, empowerment, and vulnerability, including links to trafficking. Findings indicate that both approaches have strengths and weaknesses and address prostitution in markedly different ways; the Dutch policy moves beyond simple victimization while acknowledging vulnerability and therefore appears most advantageous for women. The thesis further concludes that prostitution is complex and calls for sustained, funded research to inform future policy decisions.
Prostitution er udbredt globalt og har længe været genstand for debat om afskaffelse eller legalisering. Data peger på, at det primært er kvinder, der sælger seksuelle ydelser, og mænd, der køber dem, og politikker udformes ofte i lyset af bekæmpelse af menneskehandel. Denne afhandling undersøger, hvilken politik der skaber de bedste resultater for kvinder i prostitution, gennem et komparativt casestudie af Sverige, hvor køb af sex kriminaliseres og sælgere dekriminaliseres, og Nederlandene, hvor prostitution er legaliseret og reguleret. Analysen anvender Carol Lee Bacchis tilgang “rethinking social problems” og “What is the problem represented to be?” samt to feministiske perspektiver, sex work og neo-abolitionisme, til at belyse, hvordan politikkerne repræsenterer problemet, hvilke antagelser de bygger på, og hvilke effekter de har for beskyttelse, empowerment og håndtering af sårbarhed, herunder relationer til menneskehandel. Resultaterne peger på, at begge tilgange har fordele og ulemper og adresserer prostitution på markant forskellige måder; den hollandske politik går ud over en ren offergørelse og adresserer samtidig sårbarhed og fremstår derfor som den mest fordelagtige for kvinder. Afhandlingen konkluderer endvidere, at prostitution er kompleks og kræver langsigtet, finansieret forskning for at underbygge fremtidige politiske valg.
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