Page 4262 - Week 13 - Thursday, 27 November 2014
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train in work areas of their choice. The average recovery time, I was struck to realise, is two to four years.
South Korea is not as advanced a nation in women’s affairs as Sweden. However, it has introduced part of the Swedish model of legislation. The women’s movement of South Korea really rose up and protested after 20 prostitutes died in brothel fires in the brothel districts. They pushed for legislative change.
In South Korea we met with the Minister of Gender Equality and Family, as well as a range of exit and support programs. There is quite a network of government funded exit programs for prostitutes and trafficked women across the country. Concerns were expressed to our delegation by government officials that South Korean women are being lured to Australia on working holiday visas and then work in legal brothels, yet are still trafficked as power is asserted over them to keep them under control. Passports are taken, debt bondage is asserted and there is no access to language learning et cetera. I commend the work of the women’s movement in South Korea for forcing a male-dominated culture to take some action, and they have done so with courage.
Key lessons from this study trip are that it has been predominantly women who have fought for the change to legislation to protect women from the very nature of the sex industry. These women sit across the political divide. Support and exit programs for women wanting to leave prostitution are essential in supporting genuine choice, and the time frame for recovery is between two and four years.
The women’s movement’s courage in stating that sex is not a human right was profound. The part-time purchase of a woman’s genitalia is no different from the part-time purchase of that woman, they believe, and as such leaves some people in our society able to be bought and used as people see fit. The nature of the recovery process is similar to that of domestic violence recovery programs because the nature of sexual work means that women are being raped, cut and bruised on a regular basis, and, as a common outcome, experience PTSD.
I was inspired by the study trip to work towards exit programs in our own city and in our nation so that one day we will be able to put our hands on our hearts and say that no woman is working in prostitution against her free choice or preference and that there is a genuine way out.
In my 20 seconds of Christmas remarks, I would like to say that we are in the era of Liberal babies in 2014 and 2015. Mr Wall commented that if we are going from youngest to eldest, with he and Mr Coe having produced babies this year, and me going in for one next year, Mr Hanson would be the next off the line.
In my office I would like to thank Danielle, a giant of small stature who keeps everything running and keeps me to task and is also great with advice. I would like to thank Peter Hosking, who I call the strong and fit, who keeps my letterboxing going and keeps my correspondence with constituents strong; and Marianne, the master of the detail. I am so grateful to the three of you; I would not be able to do it without you. I thank Joe and all in the leader’s office, and the other staff up and down the corridor
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