There are only a few days until the national elections, which means that finally on TV they will end up transmitting these overwhelming political debates and we will return to look at any other garbage that gives us the silly box.
While waiting for the end of the elections, we wanted to find out what is the position of the 4 major parties regarding prostitution. We have read all the political programs and we have contacted the 4 parties. Only Citizens has answered us.
Abolitionists
The PP and the PSOE give themselves the hand positioning themselves against the regulation of prostitution.
First of all, the Partido Popular in its current electoral program, they make no specific mention of the measures to the paid sex sector. Let’s say that you have maintained the same behavior as always, that is, to do nothing. At least at the level of immobility they are coherent. The only little phrase that appears in the program is:
“We will intensify police control and surveillance measures in school environments in order to prevent the proliferation of illicit activities, such as drug trafficking and the exercise of prostitution, thus guaranteeing adequate conditions for the normal development of minors”
In a December 2015 interview, Marta González, a member of the PP, declared that her party has not put in place measures to abolish this activity because “Spanish society is not ripe for this. In Sweden it took about 20 years”. And when they asked “Do you think, then, the PP, that these women who exercise voluntarily should have labor rights?” He answered with a sharp “No”.
We imagine that they have already took sufficient measures (not to say out of place and without any sense) with the notorious Gag Law, which in two of its articles, 36.11 and 37.5, provides for the punishment of women in prostitution. According to this regulation, exploited women can face penalties of up to 600 euros.
Hetaria, the collective that works for the defense of the rights of prostitutes, expresses its opinion on said law “Criminalizes the work of prostitutes, leaving them even more unprotected and worsening their already difficult working conditions. The real objective of its application is to expel women from the street without offering negotiation or alternative. “
On the other hand there is the PSOE that considers prostitution as a “manifestation of gender violence and is a priority to work in the eradication of one of the cruelest and hopefully last forms of slavery” . It is no accident that in her electoral program she has inserted the issue of prostitution in the section “Gender Violence”, declaring her desire:
- Approve measures that develop policies aimed at the abolition of prostitution.
- Reintroduce in the Penal Code the figure of the locative third party (the one who rents rooms) under the terms of the Agreement United Nations, which will dismantle the sex industry.
- Introduce the penalty figure of all types of lucrative procuring, with or without the consent of the prostituted person.
- Penalize the demand and purchase of prostitution.
In addition, in the Sunday supplement of its program “Women protagonists of change” it adds that “Our project also includes implementing in our legislation measures that follow the Swedish model for the eradication of prostitution according to the law passed in the Nordic country in 1999.”
Regulatory (depending on the moment)
Citizens and Podemos are on this side. The first, Citizens , in his current program does not say anything about prostitution. It seems that the words of Albert Rivera, president of the party, took the wind: in April 2015 he declared “From the first moment in the Parliament we have defended that it was better to regulate prostitution, which is a crime and is prohibited and what is voluntary, how it is taxed and how it is regulated, it is an issue that needs to be addressed and needs debate and consensus”, but when it is included in the electoral program, either in December or June, he forgot completely.
And as we were not very clear, we decided to contact them. Our question was clear and direct: Can you clarify the position of Citizens regarding the paid sex sector? His answer was also clear, or something like that:
“ C’s considers it necessary to address a solution for prostitution in Spain. We can continue to look the other way while abandoning so many women in a legal limbo, or let trafficking mafias continue to operate under the protection afforded them by the law. A year ago we wanted to put this debate and debate on the table, to impose legal clarity […] “and blablabla.
Finally, Podemos , which still do not have very clear ideas, it seems. In December 2015, Jesus Gil, press officer and member of the party’s Citizen Council, assured “We are contacting different organizations to help us To create a position, you have to inform yourself beforehand and listen to the different sectors affected”. And as they still do not know how to approach the issue of prostitution, in their current electoral program there is no point dedicated to it.
Maybe it will help them to take a position Left United , which is presented with them to the elections. Its leader, Alberto Garzón, stated that “Prostitution is the most extreme degree of gender violence”, that is, those of IU are not abolitionist, they are the next. What do you think of this number two of Podemos, Iñigo Errejón? In a recent interview he stated: “Prostitution is dealt with indirectly, not by legalizing or prohibiting, but by ensuring that women are not discriminated against in the workplace and have economic independence, on an equal footing with any man. In short, we put the accent on economic independence so as not to exercise poverty as a last resort, and in the rights so that whoever wants to exercise freely, do so with dignity and without anyone ruling over his body but her own choice.”
To date, in Spain the Prostitution is in a situation of negligence , that is, it is not a crime, as long as it is not practiced near sites intended for minors, such as schools or parks, or in areas of public transit where it may pose a risk to road safety. The paradox is that, even if it does not involve a crime, those who practice prostitution do not have their rights recognized. Luckily we can trust the honesty and transparency of Spanish politicians, recognized and acclaimed throughout the world. But, above all, for its whores mothers.
