Author: Simouy Seng
Seng, Simouy, 2023 Cambodia’s Sex Trade: Advocating for the Rights of Women Living in Injustice, Flinders University, College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
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This thesis is dedicated to contributing to a just, dignified, and safe and secure environment for sex workers in Cambodia. It achieves this goal through a comprehensive exploration of historical and Southeast Asia sex work law contexts, scrutinising proposed legal frameworks, such as legalisation of sex work and criminalisation of clients of sex work, with a particular emphasis on amplifying the voices of sex workers advocating for the decriminalisation of sex work. Additionally, it investigates the role of long-term United States government aid in this context. The study provides a holistic perspective on the path forward, aiming to recognise and uphold the human rights and dignity of sex workers while validating their work as a legitimate profession on par with other forms of employment. The methodology employed involves the utilisation of the existing secondary data, including academic and grey literature, news publications, websites, and content from social media platforms. The research findings reveal that the most effective and suitable approach to acknowledge the human rights of sex workers is through decriminalisation. Decriminalising sex work aims to shift the legal framework from punishing individuals involved in sex work to establishing a more just and equitable system, providing them with rights, protections, and access to resources like health care, legal support, and social services. To realise a society where sex workers' human rights are honored and their work is valued, it is therefore recommended that the Cambodian government, civil society organisations, and sex workers themselves cooperate in advocating for the decriminalisation model in Cambodia. Together, they can transform the sex work landscape in Cambodia for the benefit of all concerned.
Keywords: Cambodia Sext Trade, Decriminalisation of Sex Work, Sex Workers in Cambodia,
Subject: Women's Studies thesis
Thesis type: Masters
Completed: 2023
School: College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
Supervisor: Barbara Baird