Social groups in Taiwan struggle to agree on decriminalization of prostitution

["Taiwan Church News" <enews@pctpress.org>]

3064 Edition

November 15~24, 2010

Headline News

Social groups in Taiwan struggle to agree on decriminalization of 
prostitution

Reported by Lin Yi-ying, Chen Yi-hsuan

Written by Lydia Ma

Around this time last year, as grand justices in Taiwan began mulling 
over details of the Public Order Maintenance Act pertaining 
specifically to prostitution, PCT General Assembly started a new 
committee called Gender Justice Committee. At the time, grand 
justices ruled that it was unconstitutional to punish prostitutes 
without also punishing those who seek their services. 

So, on October 13th, 2010, the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) 
announced that, in accordance with Article 7 of the ROC Constitution, 
neither prostitutes nor their customers would be punished and 
prostitution would henceforth become legal. It also announced that 
policies regulating prostitution would be in place before November 
2011.

This week, Taiwan Church News is exploring the history of 
prostitution in Taiwan and its road to decriminalization. Besides 
using other countries as case studies, we will take a look at what 
experts are saying about achieving the delicate balance between 
safeguarding a prostitute's right to work and opposing sexual abuse.

Though the term "prostitute" in Taiwan has more or less been replaced 
with the term "sex worker" in recent years to lessen stigma, there 
remains much discrimination against prostitutes. It wasn't until 
grand justices referred to Article 80 of the Public Order Maintenance 
Act to decriminalize prostitution and the MOI announced it'd follow 
up with laws regulating prostitution that sex workers finally began 
to see light at the end of the tunnel. 

However, attempts at regulating legalized prostitution have so far 
proven to be easier said than done. As of October 2, 2010, and after 
conducting many forums and workshops, the MOI has confirmed there 
won't be any commercial zones set aside for prostitution. It has also 
barred prostitutes from setting up shops near schools, religious 
buildings, or residential areas. So far, MOI is only allowing sex 
workers to set up small studios shared by 3 to 5 people – commonly 
known as "one-woman brothels". 

Commenting on the difficulties involved in decriminalizing and 
regulating prostitution, some public service employees remarked that 
national-level government agencies view the implementation of this 
policy a hot potato they'd much rather pass on to local governments.

Asked to give her take on this policy, PCT Women's Ministry Committee 
Secretary Lee Hsing-ling replied that PCT would oppose legalization 
of prostitution all the way, but the church would continue to reach 
out and help sex workers. 

Lee said that government support for "one-woman brothels" not only 
contradicts biblical principles, but also contradicts gender 
equality, as it reduces women to a commodity and fails to cherish 
them as part of God's creation. She worries that decriminalization of 
prostitution will merely exacerbate social and human depravity.