Stigma and discrimination are felt deeply amongst sex workers in Ireland compared to those in New Zealand and Scotland, according to research by the Victoria University of Wellington.
The findings are contained in a report by a senior lecturer in Criminology at the New Zealand based University, who examined the impact of sex work laws across the three jurisdictions.
As part of her work, Lynzi Armstrong and fellow researchers interviewed 70 sex workers, 24 of whom were in the Republic of Ireland, who "indicated stigma was felt most deeply",
Structural stigma and structural violence were evident in the stories that were told according to the report.
Isolation, shame, and judgement featured in the narratives far more prominently than the other contexts, according to the report.
Several participants described instances of abusive and demeaning treatment in a range of settings, linked to another person being aware of their sex work.
The report states that in this context, "stigma was described as being both built into the laws in place, and connected to power held by the Catholic Church, which continues to wield control over sex workers' lives, and shape public narratives regarding who sex workers are".
It added that participants were "unambiguous in their views" that the laws relating to sex work in Ireland "are harming sex workers and urgently need to be changed".
In 1999, Sweden became the first country to implement a legal framework focused on "ending demand" for the sex industry by criminalising the purchase of sex, which has subsequently become known as the Nordic model.
Four years later in 2003, New Zealand moved in a different direction, decriminalising sex work with the passing of the Prostitution Reform Act.
Since then, sex work laws have been subject to significant debate globally, including in Ireland.
Report on the Sexual Offences Act to be published
None of the participants involved in Ms Armstrong’s research spoke positively about the legislative framework in Ireland, where the purchase of sex was criminalised in 2017.
A report published by Amnesty International two years ago said this had a 'chilling effect’ on sex workers’ human rights.
In 2021, Maura Butler Senior Counsel began reviewing Part 4 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences Act) 2017.
However, she was unable to complete the review, due to her workload in other areas.
The material she had gathered was given to the Data and Research Unit of the Department of Justice to enable it to produce a report.
According to the Department, the report is currently being finalised and "it is anticipated that it will be completed in the coming weeks".
Throughout the review process, the Sex Workers Alliance Ireland has said that despite multiple requests, there has been a lack of transparency and meaningful consultation.
Its spokesperson Linda Kavanagh said there was "a mountain of evidence" from sex workers that violence and fear had increased under the law, and trust in gardaí had fallen.
"By forcing sex workers to work alone, the State is forcing them into harm’s way.
"Working safely and working legally are now incompatible, under the law," she said.
There are ten recommendations in the research by the University of Wellington, including full decriminalisation of sex work.
It concluded that this would the health, safety, and wellbeing of sex workers, and would serve as an ideal starting point for stigma reduction.
