Laws to protect sex workers leave them vulnerable to robbery and violence instead, Hong Kong NGOs say
Legislation that bans hiring of bodyguards, helpers and cleaners means women in sex trade must face dangerous situations alone
While prostitution is a legal grey area in Hong Kong and has long been a distinctive part of the city’s nightlife, the laws that were supposed to protect several thousands of sex workers have actually left them more vulnerable to abuse, sexual violence and robbery, according to a local NGO.
“Since the current law prohibits them from hiring a bodyguard or someone like a helper or cleaner, they must face any dangerous situations alone,” said Cherry Chui of Action for Reach Out (AFRO), the first non-profit organisation established locally in support of sex workers’ rights.
The law bans anyone from running a brothel with more than one person, living off the wages of a sex worker or soliciting clients on the street.
The restrictions effectively leave sex workers forced to work alone in one-woman brothels more powerless and vulnerable, especially those who are migrants and do not possess a Hong Kong identity card.