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Sex Work And Social Work

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Sex Work And Social Work
Canada’s approach of regulating sex work has dramatically changed over the years. Commonly referred to as the world’s oldest profession, sex work today is associated with the issues of power. The practices of sex work are constructed by patriarchal conditions, “which both creates and legitimates the ‘needs’ as well as it perpetuates the systems and practices that permit sex work to flourish under capitalism” (Jeffreys, 2008, p. 185). The term sex work can be interpreted in mean different ways; it encompasses all forms of activities related to the sex industry, otherwise recognised as “prostitution”. The topic of sex work gives rise to intense debates on issues of morality, organized crime, sexuality, human trafficking, the abuse of women and children, public health and safety, human rights violations and gendered oppression. Throughout this paper, an overview of the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act will be provided, followed by the history and an analysis of the issue from the conflicting sides. The discussion that follows examines the impacts of the Bill C-36 on social work practice.

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