Prostitution Legislation Reforms in Western Australia: What Indonesia Can Learn

Abstract

Prostitution is still a complicated problem worldwide including in Western Australia. It is estimated that there are 1700 sex workers and 38 identified brothels in Western Australia1 and prostitution legislation is still an ongoing debatable issue in the state. There has been a significant change in prostitution laws and enforcement practices, which is due to the rising worldwide problem of sex trafficking and its relation to prostitution.2 The Liberal or National Government of Western Australia planned to introduce the prostitution legislation reforms, which were intended to make brothels to be the “only viable” and legal workplaces for sex workers, to make sex workers have no opportunity to work privately in residential areas and to force them to work for the third parties or to relocate them to industrial areas.3 It would be implemented through a brothel licensing policy, which in turn will make non brothel-based sex workers considered illegal. Brothels are indeed more organized and easier to provide health care and education than the street4 and based on research in the Norwegian capital5, an existing law can make people have more negative attitudes towards buying sex. However, particular form of regulation and practice may result in worse situations and can undermine the health and well-being of sex workers. This article will discuss in details why the prostitution legislation reforms released by The Liberal/National Government in WA should not be fully supported and what we can learn based on the context of Indonesia