Pop singer Lowell finds out how Canada’s new law over sex work is affecting those who operate in the industry.

Canada’s approach to sex work has changed. As most sexual services are criminalized, there are no official statistics over the number of prostitutes in the country.

In December 2014, Bill C-36 was passed into law by the Canadian Supreme Court. The legislation made it illegal to buy sexual services, thus criminalizing clients who meet with sex workers. The bill also made it illegal for sex workers to advertise their services via third parties—but it’s still technically legal to sell sex in Canada. Viewing prostitution as sexual exploitation, the aim of the new law is to protect young women from human traffickers.

But the bill isn’t without its critics. It is claimed that C-36 will make life more dangerous for those consensually participating in sex work, as potential rush encounters due to the illegal status of buying the service might lead to clients not being vetted properly.

Lowell, a former stripper-turned-pop singer, speaks to policymakers and law enforcement to discuss Bill C-36, and she also meets prostitutes to see how the law is affecting their work.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Fair Observer’s editorial policy.

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