Human Cost of Criminalizing Sex Work in Buenos Aires, Argentina Summary

Source
Amnesty International
Year
2016

Amnesty International has published their research entitled "What I'm Doing is not a Crime": The Human Cost of Criminalizing Sex Work in the city of Buenos Aires Executive Summary, Argentina to accompany their Policy on State Obligations to Respect, Protect, and Fulfil the Human Rights of Sex Workers. Although sex work is not a crime in Argentina, sex workers, clients, and third parties are penalised through communication laws and anti-trafficking laws. Their reseach shows that the existence and enforcement of the criminal legal framework around sex work in Buenos Aires has led to human rights abuses and violations against sex workers by police, state officials and medical providers. 

Contents include:

  • Criminal justice abuses in the streets of Buenos Aires;
  • Harassment of indoor sex workers - 'code inspections' and anti-trafficking raids;
  • Stigma and discrimination in access to healthcare and housing;
  • Sex workers' lack of access to protection from violence and crime;
  • Conclusions and recommendations.

This resource is useful for all sex workers, sex workers' rights advocates, and allies interested in learning about the regulation of sex work in Argentina, and the violations of rights occuring there.

You can download this 10 page PDF above. This resource is available in English and Spanish.