The West Coast Cooperative of Sex Industry Professionals (WCCSIP) is a cooperative sex trade enterprise formed by a group of sex workers from Vancouver. During the 2010 Olympic Games, they planned to open a brothel and the cooperative was developed as part of the plan.

The members of the cooperative include prostitutes, exotic dancers, and porn stars. Here are some important things you should know about WCCSIP.

1.    They are concerned about the health and safety of the sex workers. An indoor setting will be provided for the workers to conduct business. Necessary training will be given to the workers to help workers to be more conscious about health risks in this business. They will be taught to take the appropriate measures so that they don’t pose any harm to their and the client’s health. Some of the more affluent people are able to afford something special when they go on vacation, they book an exotic ride in Rome or other places in Europe from a luxury car rental agency.

2.    WCCSIP will provide necessary training for the sex workers to work in other fields as well, like the catering or publishing business. This will give them choices and will expand their resumes. They will have the opportunity to work in other fields that are not illegal like prostitution.

3.    The group will work towards decriminalizing prostitution so that brothels can be opened. This way the sex workers will get a safe environment to work. The sex workers can rent the brothel room for as low as $2. The rooms will be secured with a hidden alarm button. There will be a reception room as well for extra security.

4.    The group addresses people all every gender and class. So, it includes the men, women, and trans-individuals as well. People of various capacities and classes are included here. It includes the First Nations, Black workers, Asian, Caucasian, and others.

5.    WCCSIP will create labor standards to improve the occupational health and safety of the sex workers. This will create a better working environment for the sex workers and give the clients a better experience as well.

6.    The cooperative will provide micro-loans for school scholarships, small businesses, and counseling for the sex workers. This will give them options to lead their lives the way they want to. So, they will have a choice to leave the brothels and lead a better life. Possibly they could drive through LA in a convertible one day, who knows?

WCCSIP is currently seeking funds to implement all their plans. Currently, the cooperative has 65,000 members. It is working to improve the lives of many sex workers. They are working towards reducing the violence of outdoor sex workers by providing good indoor facilities.

By working indoors, the sex workers will be able to control how they work. By implementing the plans of WCCSIP, the sex industry will be a better place to work in and the sex workers’ rights will be protected. They will also get the respect they deserve.

The working conditions are very bad posing health risks to the sex workers and the clients. Steps should be taken to improve the situation.]

The new law passed in 2014 by the conservative government on the sex industry has criminalized sexual services in Canada. This law has created a huge impact on the work environment of the sex workers.

Though it is illegal to have sex for money, the sex industry is still operating on hidden grounds. It is forbidden to have sex in a public place or even talk to clients in public. Brothels and other places are prohibited. There is no policy or regulation to control the health standards and work environment related to this job.

So, the sex workers have to compromise the working conditions all the time. Here are some ways to provide a safe work environment for the sex workers.

New regulation in place

The Sex Work Regulations 2016 promotes the safety of the sex workers. It ensures the protection of sex workers from health risks, violence, and exploitation. The regulation will ensure the health and safety of the sex workers.

Safe working place

The brothels should have communication devices and hidden alarms to ensure the security of the sex workers when they are providing service. If the sex worker feels unsafe to work, she will have the right to stop working immediately.

Providing necessary supplies

The sex workers should be given free condoms and lubricants. This will ensure safe sex and so there will be less risk of sexually transmitted diseases.

Keeping the workplace clean

The used condoms should be safely disposed of. The bedding of brothels should be clean. There should be clean towels available and after every service, the premise must be cleaned thoroughly to reduce the chances of any infection.

Preventing sexual assault

Many sex workers become victims of sexual assaults. Whenever they feel threatened by their clients, they should be able to call law enforcement for help.

Treatment for injury

There should be a medical team so that if an injury occurs while giving sex service, it can be dealt with immediately. Compensation should be provided to workers if they get injured.

Monitor drug usage

The alcohol and drug use should be monitored. Consumption of too much alcohol or drug may lead to violence and sexual assault.

The sex workers are vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections. Also, complications like unintended pregnancy, abortion, violence, etc. are common in the sex industry. Awareness for practicing safe sex should be promoted. The workplace for sex workers should be healthy and clean. The brothels should have the proper license to operate and they should meet the safety work standards. Workplace inspections should be conducted regularly to ensure that the workplace is safe for the sex workers.

Prostitution is a profession that is not accepted in many countries as legal. Still, most countries have sex workers working on the shadow. The nature of the work, health concerns, safe work environment, society, and other factors make prostitution an illegal profession.

Like many other countries, the current law in Canada makes prostitution illegal. According to this law, it is illegal to advertise sexual service or have sex for money. Prostitution is now seen as a form of sexual exploitation. It affects women in a negative way.

The sex industry is a great concern for the Canadian Society and the CAEC is working towards improving the situation. The CAEC has offered formation of a review committee to make sure that there are transparency and accountability in this industry. This will ensure that ethical industry practices are followed.

The CAEC will also ensure that there is no exploitation of youth and no issue of trafficking in this industry. The review committee will monitor the industry closely to make sure that trafficking doesn’t take place. It is crime and it has negative effects on the lives of the young girls.

There will be workshops to discuss the current environment of sex workers and how to improve the condition. Occupational health and safety training will be developed so that the sex workers can make safe decisions.  They will be able to provide a better service in a safe environment.

There will be a certification process that will ensure that the business or brand conducting such business has met the health standards. There will also be a penalty system for violation of standards. This will improve the health conditions of the sex workers. There will be less risk of sexually transmitted diseases like HIV or STD.

Some protests are going on to bring the current laws down related to sex work. However, this will only be possible if the industry self-govern and police itself. The people in this industry should respect each other and collaborate to make it a safer place to work.

Prostitution can be decriminalized if the safe environment can be ensured for the sex workers, trafficking can be stopped and self-governance and policing be implemented so that it doesn’t affect the society at large.

Despite the law for criminalizing prostitution in Canada, many sex workers think that they should be given the chance to have their own living. They think that they have the right to work without creating any threat to the society.

That’s why the authorities like CAEC who are part of this industry are thinking of some reform of the law. This can only be possible if all the stakeholders, workers, and the health care providers work together to make it a better place to work in.