Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1287818
12 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 13 SEPTEMBER 2020 NEWS LAURA CALLEJA CHARITY workers who have spent years helping vulnerable women who ended up as prostitutes have voiced concern at proposed reforms that could decriminalise prostitu- tion or normalise sex buying. Dar Hosea, a shelter which depends on unconditional anonymity to help victims of prostitution escape from pimps, said any law that legitimises sex work and the buying of sex would only benefit pumps and punters and put Malta on course to become a sex tourism hub. "The vast majority of women do not freely involve themselves in prostitution. They are either coerced or forced into it," a social worker from Dar Hosea told Mal- taToday. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the social worker emphasised Dar Hosea's concerns about a proposed set of rules that could treat prostitution as the choice of women with full agency, ignoring the reality of violence and control. "Through our academic, professional and hands-on experience with our service users, we know first hand that the vast majority of women do not freely involve themselves in prostitution; rather they are either coerced or forced into it." This meant that if the involvement of their pimps and punters is acknowl- edged and encouraged by the government through legalisation, the control and ap- palling abuse of women in prostitution would have been given the green light and enabled, she said. "With the proposed reform, there is a greater likelihood of exacerbating the cur- rent sex trafficking epidemic, increasing the demand of the industry for vulnerable persons and promoting the culture of sex tourism." She said Dar Hosea's concerns grow "exponentially" when looking at the out- comes of other countries that have tak- en similar approaches proposed by the government. "Only pimps and punters benefitted… having negative and severe implications on persons involved in pros- titution." For the past six years Dar Hosea has been at the frontline of informing and protecting vulnerable women involved in prostitution. "We come face-to-face with the harsh experiences of persons in pros- titution, and this is why we are convinced that whilst the reform should continue protecting women in prostitution, the purchasing of the 'service' should not be 'decriminalised', so as to further safeguard the victims from further horrendous real- ities." In 2019, 71 women from a variety of age groups sought shelter at Dar Hosea. Most, but not all the women were Maltese. "Vulnerable women are introduced to our services through self-referrals or re- ferrals by other agencies and NGOs. Once in contact with us, we usually support them through immediate help, mainly through the use of the basic facilities – showers, warm meals, clothes, dental and medical appointments – at our premises," she said. Support over the long-term includes therapeutic support by professionals, such as social workers and counsellors, who to- gether with the staff and volunteers, draw up a care plan for each service user, en- suring a safe and supportive environment. "Our service users tell us how they con- stantly experience episodes of threats and violence. Their vulnerability, which stems from severely traumatic past childhood experiences, substance misuse, mental health, and poverty among other chal- lenging life experiences, place them in desperate situations where they are sub- jected to further abuse by their partners, pimps and punters," she said. "Our service users end up in a vicious cy- cle as they become dependent on abusive situations with no hope of freedom, char- acterised by lack of self-worth and dignity to overcome their manipulation." Dar Hosea does not primarily seek to encourage women to leave prostitution; rather, its main aim is to empower them to embrace their own being with digni- ty and respect, away from hardships and abuse. "We adopt a professional approach through a non-judgemental and loving at- titude," the social worker said. Dar Hosea is the only such home in Mal- ta that provides prostitutes with shelter and professional support, under the aus- pices of the Sisters of Charity. Vulnera- ble women are welcomed at Dar Hosea in an environment of confidentiality, where they can be safe. Women are free to stay there during the day, and can find help with professional advice, sex educa- tion, medical tests, and emotional sup- port. Someone will also accompany them to hospital visits, court hearings, or help them to find employment, as well as sup- port them when it comes to relationships with their relatives. lcalleja@mediatoday.com.mt The majority of women are coerced into prostitution, says social worker Dar Hosea social woker: 'We know first hand that the vast majority of women do not freely involve themselves in prostitution; rather they are either coerced or forced into it' 24 www.gourme oday.recipes Apply ...is back Send your pzammit@mediatoday.com.mt 99835860 for more Send your details to Philippa Zammit pzammit@ mediatoday.com.mt or call on 99835860 for more information