Resource Library

These are the powerpoint notes to accompany the webinar of the same name.

Objectives:

1. To develop a greater awareness of the root causes of violence against older Indigenous women, including the impacts of colonization and socio-economic inequalities.
2. To raise awareness and educate service providers about violence in Indigenous communities, the causes of violence against older Indigenous women and how to respond to it.
3. To understand appropriate responses that empower Indigenous women who are older who have experienced violence and to facilitate and support the healing process.

En 1999, la Suède faisait de l'achat de services sexuels un acte criminel tout en maintenant des lois qui criminalisent les tierces personnes, tels que les propriétaires de maisons closes, les gestionnaires et les employés de soutien et de sécurité. Cette approche est surnommée le modèle "suédois" ou "nordique" et se veut une nouvelle avenue vers l'éradication du travail du sexe et le traffic humain en mettant n à la "demande". Une compréhension limitée du modèle suédois signi e que la majorité des gens ne sont pas au courant des di érentes facons par lesquelles ce modèle continue de criminaliser les travailleuses du sexe.

In 1999, Sweden made the purchase of sexual services a crime and maintained criminal laws against third parties such as brothel owners, managers, security and support sta . This approach is referred to as the 'Swedish' or 'Nordic' model and presented as a new legal framework to eradicate sex work and trafficking by 'ending demand'. Limited understanding of the 'Swedish model' means that most people are unaware that Sweden's laws still criminalize sex workers in other ways.

Au Canada, depuis plus de 30 ans, les travailleuses du sexe réclament du gouvernement fédéral qu'il abroge les Alliance Canadienne pour la Réforme des Lois sur le Travail du Sexe Travailleuses(rs) du Sexe, Organismes, et Individus pour les droits des Travailleuses(rs) du sexe et, pour la Sécurité et le Bien-être de la Communauté www.sexworklawreform.com * A n d'alléger le texte, lorsque nous abordons des questions relatives aux travailleuses et travailleurs du sexe, nous avons choisi d'utiliser le genre féminin. lois qui ciblent les travailleuses du sexe, leurs clients et les personnes avec qui elles travaillent. Cette approche: communément appelée décriminalisation: constitue une étape cruciale en vue de la création de sociétés plus sures et équitables.

For more than 30 years, sex workers have been calling on Canada to repeal laws that target sex workers, their clients and the people they work with. This approach — referred to as decriminalization — is a critical step towards creating safer and more equitable societies.

The evidence from Canada and throughout the world is conclusive that criminalization of sex work has the following detrimental effects:

• The sex industry is driven underground where sex workers are unable to control the conditions of their work and are at greater risk of serious violence and exploitative working conditions;
• Sex workers have decreased negotiating power and are less able to clearly communicate their services, insist on condom use and other disease prevention measures;
• There is increased stigma associated with involvement in sex work, which means sex workers experience discrimination, inequality, social exclusion and diminished economic options;
• Sex workers face barriers to health services and social supports;
• Sex workers are unable to access a range of other protections that other workers enjoy, including employment, labour and human rights protections; and
• The relationship between police and sex workers becomes adversarial, making it more difficult for sex workers to access police protection when they are victims of crime and also impacting sex workers ability to support others who may wish to access police protection if they are being abused, trafficked, etc.

No one should ever have to fear going to work every day. No one should have to worry about violence, humiliation, the threat of robbery, or arrest. And yet this is what sex workers in Canada must deal with, despite Canada's prostitution law that claims to help them by criminalizing only their clients, and assuming that sex workers are all victims.

To recognize and advance the human rights of sex workers, the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada supports the full decriminalization of consensual adult sex work.1 Our position is based on the best evidence available2 and respect for the autonomy and dignity of sex workers.

In addition, we believe that the right to do sex work legally (and as safely as possible) has parallels with the right to legal and safe abortion. Both issues directly involve the rights to life, liberty, security of the person, equality, privacy, and conscience, and in the case of sex work, the right to free expression and association as well. Like abortion, doing sex work is also a matter of choice in most cases, even if it's a constrained or unhappy choice for many. But when abortion or sex work is criminalized, those affected have even less choice and control – for example, they can be more easily exploited or harmed by unaccountable third parties, putting their lives and health at risk. Just like women who have abortions, sex workers face stigma and judgment and are often shamed and silenced, especially women and transgender workers.

What is financial abuse? How will I know if my friend or family member is living with abuse?

Please note, images in this series were designed to be printed as information brochures and some images are upside down.

For more cards in more languages please see this link: http://www.immigrantandrefugeenff.ca/safe-and-loved-at-home-cards