Prostitution: Quel modèle juridico-politique pour le Portugal?

Abstract

Different political-juridical models have framed prostitution in Portugal: regulation, prohibition and abolition, the latter of which is currently prevalent. There are two main standpoints in social and scientific discourse: those who defend prostitution as a valid form of labor and those who consider it a violation of human rights. This article presents the legal and historical evolution of models of interventions concerning prostitution in Portugal, so as to contextualize and understand the influence of discourses. Next, the article exposes the opinion of professionals within institutions that respond to the demands of this population, under the current political-juridical framework, with the objective of analyzing different perspectives on sexual labor. Based on qualitative research which tooks into account 23 interviews, it was concluded that although there is not a clear idea as to which model to adopt, the concern regarding respect for human rights and the combatting stigma is well-established, regardless of the paradigm in question.