A Scottish Model of Legislation for Prostitution

Preventing Violence Against Women

The ALBA Party agrees with the Scottish Government’s NHS guidelines on Commercial Sexual Exploitation which outlines the harmful effects on prostituted women: that a majority suffer high levels of physical violence, rape and post-traumatic ​stress; that there is a significant effect on mental health; and that there is a significant link with drug abuse.

We recognise the successful legislative approach to prostitution pioneered in Sweden for more than 20 years, now also adopted in Norway, Finland, Iceland, Canada, the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland and France, which focuses on reducing demand for commercial sexual exploitation. In countries where prostitution is legalised, there is an associated increase in human trafficking, child prostitution and other forms of criminality.

We support the development of a Scottish model of legislation that:

decriminalises the sale of sex,

criminalises the purchase of sex, and

offers suitable support for those wishing to exit commercial sexual exploitation.

We further agree that such action is in accordance with the Scottish Government’s Equally Safe strategy, in particular the statement that commercial sexual exploitation, including prostitution and human trafficking, is a form of violence against women.