Legalise Prostitution for Safety, Respect and Recognition

  It has been few weeks that Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Nepal Police Parwati Thapa urged the necessity of establishment of sex-related crimes in the country.This exclamation came when Nepal Police have been involved in keeping the raids in the suspected brothels and the probable areas where flesh trade was supposed to be done and the police nabbed those found on charge of violating the norms and values and having sexual relationship in public places.Few days before the exclamation, the report prepared by the internal investigating jury warned that many policewomen have been sexually abused by their male compatriots.And as expected her exclamation raised many criticisms from the so-called intellectuals and self-declared pointing out that it was against the Nepalese culture and tradition that we have been following for centuries.Commonsense is what is lacking in the so-called intellectuals that when many countries have already considered it as a form of profession and made attempts to legalize it they lack strong ground and foundations to oppose it except  blaming the establishment of bad culture and adaptation from the west.

When many countries in the west have already legalized it as a form of profession and even our neighboring India have already established red-light areas it has been a highly debated issue in our country.Research have shown that legalization of prostitution ensures physical and health safety of the sex-workers and the health-related negative consequences like HIV, AIDS etc.can be controlled.After legalization prostitutes will get the strong foundations to stand in.

Today in such a transition and the state of political instability our country lacks strong law so that all this cons could be addressed but in the days to come this should be a serious topic of discussion. Neednot to say, the issue of legalizing of prostitution is a worldwide debated issue and in our country where culture, religion and tradition has a eminent role in the formulation of plans and policies this could be a distant dream.But we cannot disagree that prostitution is the world's first profession though not socially accepted in our country can be seen been practiced.Today when a lady with her own will works as a prostitute gets raped, she cannot go to the police and ask for justice as she is already a criminal in the eye of law.Thus the rapist goes scot-free.Being a sex-worker can never be a serious offense then being raped.In my opinion setting up red-light areas will ensure the physical safety of the sex-workers and have the strong recognition in the society.

Aanam