The Future of Feminism and Sex Work Activism in New Zealand

New Zealand’s Approaches to Regulating the Commodification of the Female Body

“…2 The existence of any abuse or violence whatsoever proves that the commercial sex industry is harmful and exploitative and should not be tolerated. Showden (2020) argues that decriminalization is the first step in a sex-worker-led feminism that can focus on the structural causes of poverty that limit educational and economic opportunities and thus leave sex work as the only option for many people. She asserts that we can use our "current heightened attention to the pervasiveness of gendered sexual violence" as a way to shift the focus away from sex work per se and more onto the aspects that make it a harmful industry: masculinity, power, and money (Showden 2020, 71).…”

“…The sex workers’ rights position can be summed up simply: “sex workers need to be safe, their labour protected by labour laws, and this will not happen until we truly listen to those that matter the most—the labourers” (Showden 2020 , 103). This last note suggests that the question of how best to deal with prostitution could be resolved if we just asked those in the industry.…”

“…Showden ( 2020 ) argues that decriminalization is the first step in a sex-worker-led feminism that can focus on the structural causes of poverty that limit educational and economic opportunities and thus leave sex work as the only option for many people. She asserts that we can use our “current heightened attention to the pervasiveness of gendered sexual violence” as a way to shift the focus away from sex work per se and more onto the aspects that make it a harmful industry: masculinity, power, and money (Showden 2020 , 71). This work, then, would also have correlate impacts on the other forms of sexual violence faced by women and gender diverse people in many other types of workplaces and in their homes.…”

“…It is not morally significantly different from other forms of work such as caring for children or elderly parents, nursing, or, for some, prostitution. Furthermore, this view highlights that in our capitalist economy when the “advancing frontier of commodification elicits recoil” (Showden 2020 , 72) we should recognize that a desire to protect things that some perceive as inalienable from commodification does not change that they are for sale. To deny this reality is to live in an overly moralistic and imaginary world.…”