Document Type
Paper
Publication Date
7-23-2020
Faculty Mentor
Rebecca Evans
Abstract
Although there is some debate over the exact number of victims of sex trafficking, it is agreed upon that it is an issue that affect primarily women and girls around the world. This paper will examine modern day slavery and the unresolved, century-old debate surrounding sex trafficking and sex work. While abolitionists advocate for total eradication of all sex work, whether it is consensual or not, libertarians support the right to voluntary sex work while condemning the coercion and exploitation that surrounds all forms of trafficking. I will use an analysis of international conventions and will begin a comparative analysis by looking at the case of France to show how advocates of these different positions have informed and influenced international law and policies. Views on sex work are reflected differently in international treaties and conventions, and I will argue that these international conventions are less abolitionist than earlier documents, accounting for the nuance within the debate of sex work versus sex trafficking.
Recommended Citation
Wolfe, Carver, "Oppression or Occupation: Conflicting Views on the Nature of Sex Work in France and Under International Law" (2020). Politics and International Relations Presentations. 1.
https://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/pol_int_pres/1
Open Access
Available to all.
Included in
Human Rights Law Commons, International Law Commons, International Relations Commons, Other Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons
Comments
Presented during the 22nd Annual Summer Fellows Symposium, July 24, 2020 at Ursinus College.
The downloadable file is a poster presentation with audio commentary.
The final project is available here.