the nia project>prostitution>leaving - the stigmas & barriers
Leaving Prostitution
The vast majority of women are desperate to leave prostitution, but face many barriers that are very difficult to overcome without adequate help and support. As it is women who are criminalised, rather than the men who buy their bodies and sexualities, the majority of women exiting prostitution do so with a criminal record. Due to the prolonged violence and abuse they have suffered, many women exiting prostitution also require support for mental health and substance misuse issues. These factors, along with the widespread social stigmatisation and stereotyping of women involved in prostitution, mean that women often find it difficult to gain access to appropriate safe housing and employment, and must fight to retain or gain custody of their children. Women who become involved in prostitution are therefore trapped by economic, social, and physical barriers, as well as by the men who will do anything to keep them enslaved.
Some people argue that prostitution should be legalised to enable the government to gain control over the context and earnings of prostitution and thus provide women with greater safety and security. The legalisation of prostitution does not lead to greater safety for women and children, however, it instead provides men with protection from being prosecuted and criminalised for taking part in the trade and enslavement of women.