The majority of women enter prostitution not because of real choice but because of a lack of meaningful options to make a decent living, experiences of childhood and adult abuse, coercion and substance misuse. Please help such women by supporting the Hon Nicola Centofanti’s Summary Offences (Prostitution Law Reform) Bill 2023, which, while decriminalising the selling of sex, restrains exploitation by criminalising the buying of sex and third party profiteering. Most importantly it provides meaningful exit strategies for prostituted people.

I am writing to ask you to please support the Hon Nicola Centofanti’s Summary Offences (Prostitution Law Reform) Bill 2023. South Australia should once again lead the way in Australia in adopting this model that has been proven effective in reducing trafficking and increasing respect and safety for women. The Equality Model of Prostitution law reform proposed by Ms Centofanti decriminalises the selling of sex, restrains exploitation by criminalising the buying of sex and third party profiteering, and provides meaningful exit strategies for prostituted women and others.

Studies into prostitution and trafficking in 9 countries reveal that 68% of people in prostitution meet the criteria for post-traumatic stress and are deeply traumatised by experiencing daily physical and sexual abuse and violence in their 'workplaces' with symptoms in the same range as battered women, rape survivors and combat veterans. The Summary Offences (Prostitution Law Reform) Bill 2023 has been shown overseas to reduce the demand for prostitution, thereby reducing the number of prostituted people and the harm caused by it. Please support this Bill.

I ask you as my elected member of the SA Parliament to advocate for a positive change for prostituted girls, by supporting the Summary Offences (Prostitution Law Reform) Bill 2023. The Bill while decriminalising the selling of sex, restrains exploitation by criminalising the buying of sex and third party profiteering and most importantly, provides meaningful exit strategies for prostituted women and others. South Australia has long been a leader in laws promoting equality. Please make this State the first in Australia to adopt the Equality Model of Prostitution law reform by supporting the Summary Offences (Prostitution Law Reform) Bill 2023.

The Hon Nicola Centofanti’s Summary Offences (Prostitution Law Reform) Bill 2023 which decriminalises the selling of sex, restrains exploitation by criminalising the buying of sex and third party profiteering and provides meaningful exit strategies for prostituted women and others, is being enacted across the world: –1999 in Sweden as part of the Violence Against Women Act; –2009 in Norway; –2009 in Iceland; –2014 in Canada as part of the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act; –2015 in Northern Ireland; –2016 in France; –2017 in Ireland as part of the Sexual Offences Act; –2018 in Israel. The Prohibition of Consumption of Prostitution Services Act became effective in Israel on 10 July 2020; –Texas (modified form) 2022, –Maine 2023 –There is a Bill before the UK Parliament. Other countries continue to explore this pro-woman legislative model. SA should follow suit and be the first Australian State to adopt the Equality Model by supporting Ms Centofanti’s Bill.