FEMINIST LEGAL APPROACHES TO ADULT PROSTITUTION

Prostitution and the sex industry are topics that involve a complex range of issues. In the international arena they have resulted in a range of regulatory responses. In South Africa, the Law Reform Commission is looking at law reform measures best suited to the unique South African context. South Africa has a strong constitutional jurisprudence that protects the right to equality. However, there are also high levels of unemployment as well as the prevalence of HIV/AIDS which results in the disproportionate effect of inequalities on women. The objective of this seminar is to engage with the issues and discuss various approaches to prostitution adopted by other jurisdictions and how they might apply in SA. This is the first of two workshops which will deal with the theoretical underpinnings of feminist legal approaches to adult prostitution. The second workshop will focus on more contextual issues.