Prostitution decriminalisation will open Malta to sex tourism, coalition tells Buttigieg

The Malta Women’s Lobby has issued a reminder to the Maltese government about the concerted opposition by 46 organisations against a tentative legalisation of prostitution and sex work in Malta.

The MWL represents various womens’ rights organisations who have kept a constant opposition to the decriminalisation of prostitution, which is as yet supported by just a handful of NGOs.

“Fully decriminalising legislation supports, to a limited extent, a very small minority of individuals, whilst simultaneously exploiting the majority of victims. It also opens Malta’s doors to sex tourism and human trafficking, enabling such criminal behaviour, and exposing Maltese and foreign women and girls to unprecedented levels of risk and harm,” the MWL said in an open letter to parliamentary secretary for reforms and equality Rebecca Buttigieg.

“We strongly urge you to champion women's rights and to protect the most vulnerable, many of whom have no voice in this debate, and depend on their representatives to protect their interests and not the interests of those who are exploiting them.”

The MWL contends that the overwhelming majority of persons in prostitution in Malta are women, with research repeatedly showing all, bar a few exceptions, are victims of financial, emotional, or physical coercion.

The lobby agrees with a sustainable exit programme for prostitutes and measures that ensure thety are not re-victimised by prosecution.

But the MWL says the prevention of exploitation can only be effective if the buying of sex is outlawed and penalised accordingly. “With the exception of two organisations – which are not experts on the subject – all 46 organisations which participated in the consultations process and eventually formed part of the Coalition, strongly advised that to promote gender equality and curb sex trafficking, the new legislation must limit, not expand, demand for sexual services.  This was also the position taken by the National Commission for the Promotion of Equality (NCPE).”

The MWL said Buttigieg was duty-bound to listen to the advice of Malta’s experts. “A consultation is a crucial process and must not be merely reduced to a hollow PR exercise. To do otherwise would mean consciously putting vulnerable persons in a much worse, not better, position, and would result in risking the lives of women and girls, whilst protecting those who exploit them.”