Menu
At Sagesse, we define sex work as real work. We believe sex work is a material exchange for intimacy or sexual services. There are many experiences of sexual exchange, and those involved with sex work are the expert in their own experiences. They determine if their experiences are sex work or sexual exploitation. This model helps us understand ways that choice or coercion impact people’s experiences of sexual exchange.
People who do sex work, like most workers, have diverse feelings about their work. People who do sex work often identify as sex workers. For some, sex work is a chosen profession that they enjoy and find rewarding, similar to any other profession. Some sex workers dislike their work but find it is their best or only option to make a living. And some don’t have an opinion about their work, but find that it offers flexibility or good pay.
Sexual exploitation can take many forms, but all involve forcing an individual into the sexual exchange. Sexual exploitation can occur when someone is being forced into sexual acts by someone else (like an abusive partner), or they are forced into sexual exchanges because they are being trafficked. Sexual Exploitation could include domestic abuse, coercive control, manipulated sexual exchange, and/or human trafficking.
There are many myths that can impact perceptions of who sex workers are. This includes believing all sex workers are addicted, homeless, sexually deviant, sex trafficked, experienced sexual trauma or childhood sexual abuse, or conversely – wealthy high-end call girls.
These myths create boxes for people preventing them from living freely or having their experiences heard. Myths deny individuals who have experienced domestic abuse or engaged in sex work a fulsome identity, making these experiences seem like their only experiences. The resulting effect of this is an intense feeling of shame and otherness.
People who have engaged in sex work are rarely allowed space to be anything other than a “sex worker”. The experience of being stigmatized can become internalized, compounding the feelings of shame and otherness, leading to experiences of isolation, increased risks of abuse, and further complicated barriers to support.
Sex workers in many settings report experiences with abuse and coercive control in connection with their work. Since criminal laws apply to some activities associated with sex work, sex workers face an additional barrier to accessing services. They are afraid of accessing services or even talking to their peers about their experiences.
Domestic abuse and sex work each carry heavy amounts of social shame and stigma. Individuals with lived experience in both domestic abuse and sex work can internalize this compounding shame and stigma, which can lead to increased risks of isolation, lack of social supports, and barriers to accessing services.
At Sagesse we believe sex work is valid work and sex workers deserve workplace health and safety and human rights.
We would like to see sex work become both decriminalized and destigmatized. By removing the criminal and administrative penalties that apply specifically to sex work, the individuals involved will be more able to seek support and talk about their experiences in a way that protects their personal health and safety.
For decriminalization to be meaningful, it must be accompanied by a recognition of sex work as work, allowing sex work to be governed by labour law and protections similar to other jobs. While decriminalization does not resolve all challenges that sex workers face, it is a necessary condition to realize their human rights and separate their work from sexual exploitation.