Which Legal Approach to Prostitution Protects the Sex Workers Best?

DAI Zhiping Lionel, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Abstract

The “world’s oldest profession” employs more than 40 million people, predominantly female. Critical issues linked with prostitution highlight the need to explore the best option to address prostitution’s role in society.

PROFILE PICTURE

BIO

Dai Zhiping Lionel is a PolyU Year 2 Accountancy student from Tianjin, China. He is an active traveler, having visited more than 10 countries including Kenya and Palau. He has engaged in service learning English tutoring for primary students in Cambodia and Hong Kong, and recently enjoyed an academic and cultural experience at the University of Cambridge. With career aims in the business world, Lionel wishes to realize his potential and give back to society.

REFLECTION

My interest in this topic originated from a TED talk in which a sex worker called for decriminalizing prostitution. Before watching that speech, I merely thought prostitution was immoral and should be banned. However, the talk was so persuasive and counter-intuitive that it attracted my interest immediately and provoked me to think deeply. Hence, I realized that the legalization of prostitution was actually an area of debate. When I was asked to choose an essay topic for ELC-1014 Advanced English for University Studies, I thought this was perfectly suitable and I was eager to find out how academia viewed this issue. At first it was challenging for me to develop a clear logic, since there were simply too many perspectives and arguments. After relentless effort, I finally synthesized the academic materials and gained recognition from my teacher. Moreover, I felt the essay was lifted to a new level under the supervision of my editor.