Sex workers say No to Carfagna Bill

Respect our rights, national demo of sex workers in Italy tells Government

Italian Government has been asked to create a Parliamentary Forum for sex workers in the country to discuss and approve their Charter of Rights.

Member of European Parliament Vittorio Agnoletto (Prc) made the call while addressing the national demonstration of Sex workers in Italy who came together in Rome on 13th December to protest against the proposed bill outlawing street prostitution in the country. The so-called Carfagna Bill was prepared by Ms. Mara Carfagna, the Minister for Equal Opportunities.

MEP Agnoletto said that the idea of inviting sex workers to a Parliamentary Hall to discuss on their rights may seem absurd in Italy, yet it is something that has been done by the European Parliament. “The EU Parliament set aside a Parliamentary Hall for 500 sex workers from 27 European countries to discuss and approve a Charter of Rights of Sex Workers to be presented to the EU Parliament for discussion and approval,” Mr. Agnoletto said.

He criticised Italian politicians of practising double morality standards. He said that in Northern Italy where most local governments are headed by politicians belonging to the national ruling coalition People of Freedom Party (PdL), at least once a month, a government official, city councilor, etc is caught on the street while going for paid sex.

“But such incidents are hardly reported by the media, or reported but without either naming the culprits or showing their photos. This is double morality standard that makes it possible to sell everything In Italy, that also makes it possible to buy everything using public funds, but at the same time denying people a very basic right such as the right to make use of one’s body the way one wishes without restriction.”

Mr. Agnoletto said the human body is a private sphere where no one, not even the State should intervene to dictate what one can do with his/her body. The only limit to the use of one’s body should be consciousness not to cause any harm to others, he said. 

He rejected the government’s claim that the Carfagna Bill would help the fight against human trafficking. “Forcing men and women to prostitute themselves in closed environments means handing them totally to human traffickers,” Mr. Agnoletto said. 

His challenge to the Government: “If they’d like to help those who want to abandon prostitution, the Government should invest in social welfare programmes.”

Mr. Agnoletto told the square full of sex workers: “I hope to see you all in Brussels at the EU Parliament to discuss your Rights Charter.”

Covre: Banning street prostitution abandons prostitutes totally to their exploiters

Ms. Pia Covre, President of the Committee for the Civil Rights of Prostitutes (CDCP) termed the Carfagna Bill “a Classist Bill” that will only hard hit those who are forced into prostitution but protect high class prostitution carried and managed by very powerful and wealthy people. “This law is in line with all the social policies of the Government which hit the poor,” she said, adding that “what the Government is trying to do is to make prostitution invisible. In this way they are not helping anyone but only reducing the rights of all.”

She said that banning street prostitution makes prostitutes invisible, hence abandoning them totally to their exploiters.

Ms. Covre called for respect of rights of sex workers and equal opportunities for all without marginalising some members of the society.

“It is wrong to come up with law on prostitution without consulting sex workers”

Addressing the same demo, Mr. Sergio Ravasio, Secretary General of Associazione radicale 'Certi diritti' appealed to all sex workers to resist all attempts aimed at suppressing their rights. “We must be united and strongly oppose all unjust laws. We must not be afraid,” he said.

The strongest criticism against Minister Carfagna came from Mr. Ravasio. “Allow me to say something to the beautiful Minister Carfagna. She had the courage to say that she is ashamed of those who sell their bodies like prostitutes. Please tell me if this isn’t a combination of shame and hypocrisy: my question to the Minister Carfagna is; when you were posing for those calendars with breasts and buttocks wide exposed, weren’t you renting out your body? Shame on you!”

Mr. Ravasio noted that when the Carfagna Bill was taken to the Parliamentary Constitutional Affairs and Justice Commissions, they asked the Parliament to listen to the views of the sex workers, victims of human trafficking and associations representing them but they were ignored. “It is not right to approve such a measure without listening to the views of those directly concerned. Those are the people who would certainly come up with better proposals,” he said.

He advised the government to spend money in programmes to help prostitutes instead of spending them in using force to suppress them.

Ms. Paola Concia, MP belonging to the Democratic Party said Minister Carfagna is the "worst Equal Opportunities Minister in the world. She hides instead of facing problems. She favours marginalisation and social stigma.”

Former MP Franco Grillino claimed that government now “wants to put its hands into the citizens’ pants”.

Fr. Antonio Zappolini, Vice President of Coordinamento nazionale delle comunità di accoglienza (Cnca) criticised the government for failing to consult them. He said the government has no idea of supporting or involving the civil societies.

Several hundreds of sex workers braved the rain to listen to speeches by their representatives, politicians, and clients at Rome’s Piazza Farnese.

Some of placards at the demo read: “I’m a prostitute”, “Defend the prostitute of your estate”, “There are nine million men who buy sex, and  70,000 prostitutes”.

There were also placards directly attacking Italy’s Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and Mayor Rome Mr. Gianni Alemanno. One of such placards read: “It is their morality that pollutes the streets”.