December 17 – Day 12: Decriminalization is Prevention

Alex Andrews
4 days ago
3 min read

When we talk about ending violence against sex workers, one of the most powerful tools we have isn’t another round of policing or another set of restrictive laws - it’s decriminalization.

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Because the evidence is clear: criminalization makes sex work more dangerous, while decriminalization saves lives.

Every law that criminalizes sex work - whether it targets workers, clients, or third parties - creates conditions where violence thrives. Criminalization isolates people. It drives the work underground, making safety screening and mutual protection nearly impossible. It gives police unchecked power, while stripping sex workers of theirs.

Under criminalization, calling the police can mean getting arrested yourself. Working with friends for safety can lead to charges of “brothel keeping.” Renting a room can turn a landlord into a “pimp.” Even carrying condoms - a basic health measure - has been used as evidence of a crime.

Criminalization doesn’t prevent sex work.It prevents safety.

What Decriminalization Actually Does

Decriminalization doesn’t mean “no rules.” It means applying the same labor laws, workplace protections, and human rights standards to sex work that already exist for every other form of work.

When sex work is decriminalized, workers can:

Negotiate boundaries without fear of arrest.
Work together safely without being criminalized for cooperation.
Access justice when assaulted, robbed, or exploited.
Report abuse without risking their livelihood or freedom.

We don’t have to imagine what this looks like - we’ve already seen it work.

In New Zealand, where sex work has been decriminalized since 2003, studies show:

Over 90% of sex workers feel they have legal rights and safer working conditions.
Workers report better relationships with law enforcement, where they can report crimes without fear.
Health outcomes have improved dramatically due to reduced stigma and better access to services.

Decriminalization doesn’t just improve safety - it improves dignity, stability, and equality.

Decriminalization is Prevention

Decriminalization is not a “radical” idea - it’s common sense. It is prevention in its purest form.

It prevents violence by removing the conditions that make sex workers targets.
It prevents exploitation by giving workers real options to organize, report abuse, and hold others accountable.
It prevents stigma from being written into law, signaling that our lives and labor are equally valuable.

When we decriminalize sex work, we shift the power balance - away from predators, police, and profiteers, and toward the workers themselves.

Decriminalization means fewer arrests, fewer assaults, fewer names added to the December 17 memorial lists. It’s how we stop the violence before it starts.

The Human Cost of Criminalization

Behind every “rescue raid” headline are people whose lives are shattered - workers jailed, families torn apart, housing lost, children taken, communities destabilized. These aren’t isolated incidents; they’re the predictable outcomes of laws designed to punish survival.

When we criminalize sex work, we criminalize poverty, migration, queerness, and womanhood. We criminalize the strategies people use to stay alive in an unequal world.

Every December 17, we read the names of those taken by violence. Many of those names would not be there if sex work had been decriminalized.

A Global Consensus

Across the world, human rights and public health experts agree:

Amnesty International, the World Health Organization, the Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women, Human Rights Watch, and UNAIDS all support full decriminalization.
They recognize that punitive laws increase vulnerability, while community-led, rights-based approaches save lives.

The message is clear: decriminalization is not just good policy - it is a moral necessity.

What You Can Do

🔴 Support the Movement: Sign and share petitions calling for full decriminalization. Join local efforts led by sex workers fighting for safety and dignity.

🔴 Educate & Share: Talk about what decriminalization really means - and what it doesn’t. Challenge the myths that confuse sex work with trafficking or “immorality.”

🔴 Fund the Frontlines: Donate to sex worker–led organizations building safety networks, offering legal aid, and advocating for law reform.

On this December 17, as we honor those we’ve lost, we must also demand a future that prevents further loss.