| dc.description.abstract | The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore, and as a result, to better understand the
positions of two central prostitution organisations, Pro Sentret in Norway, and
Prostitutionsenheten (Prostitution Centre) in Sweden, using the method of comparative
analysis. I used the following research questions: How do the legal and promotional
prevention measures on prostitution in Norway and Sweden differ and what characterizes
them? What is the position of central institutions on the debate on prostitution, Pro Sentret in
Oslo and Prostitutionsenheten in Stockholm, on the visibility of human trafficking and the
legal approach used in Sweden? I wondered, could there be a link between the positions
these organisations have on prostitution, and the measures they develop to address the
problem? For 25 years Pro Sentret has lobbied hard so that laws should remain unchanged,
and to prevent new laws to end prostitution. They argue that they should not come at the cost
of the personal freedoms of the women, and there is no proof they work, therefore only social
measures should be used. In Sweden, they use both social and legal measures in combination
to eliminate prostitution, as that is their primary goal. Prostitution is just another form of
male violence and domination, where women are the victims who must be helped and
protected, even at the expense of their individual rights and civil liberties.
In the discussion both countries argue that they use measures that best protect women’s rights
with the goal being equality. It is the difference in interpretation of the concept of equality
that is at the heart of this longstanding ideological disagreement. There is a need for an
evaluation style study to be conducted that looks more closely at the findings from this
research, to determine which approach best meets the needs of women in prostitution. | en_US |
