If they did their income tax then they should be entitled to Cerb.
Amnesty International is one of 125 human rights organizations calling on the government to provide emergency income supports to sex workers.
During the pandemic, sex workers have been faced with the same hurdles as millions of other Canadians forced to stop working — no job and no income, but all the same bills to pay.
Where others can get emergency funding through CERB (the Canada Emergency Response Benefit), sex workers, for the most part, cannot. This is viewed by some as the latest indicator that those engaged in the industry need the same job protections and security as everyone else in the work force.
Advocates say it’s time for the government to decriminalize all aspects of sex work.
In 2014, selling sex was made illegal in Canada, a change that made everything worse for the very people it was supposed to protect.
“We’re finding the pandemic is really putting a microscope on issues of human rights and inequity,” said Jackie Hansen of Amnesty International Canada. “This is one of the most marginalized groups in Canada, even before the pandemic. Criminalization doesn’t work. It pushes sex workers into the shadows. You have no protections and bad things happen.
“These laws have further put sex workers in danger.”
Decriminalization of sex work is the eventual goal and the immediate goal, according to advocates, is desperately needed financial relief.
“Sex workers complied with social distancing like everyone else,” said Hansen. “They don’t want to get sick and they don’t want to make their families sick. Most stopped working. But most can’t get any government support, and they still need to pay for food, rent, medications, kids’ expenses … There is some limited and very restricted government support, like grocery cards.
“They need access to the same supports as other people.”
To add insult to injury, added Hansen, “They continue to enforce sex work laws if you do work. So where does that leave some people? You can’t work and you’ve lost all income, but there are no supports for you. If you do work, the laws on the books are being enforced during a pandemic.”
Hansen explained that various organizations across the country helping sex workers could distribute government funds to ensure people can pay their bills.
“They know who is struggling. And they know how to get funds to these people, while protecting safety and anonymity. That’s their job. It’s totally possible,” she said.
“But we keep hearing, ‘No.’ So the message is, the rights of some people are more important than others.”
A spokesman for Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Employment and Workforce Development, offered a generic statement that read in part, “We understand that the impacts of COVID-19 are being felt disproportionately by women. This crisis has also further exposed and exacerbated the underlying vulnerabilities for the most marginalized in our society.”
The statement noted that those applying for CERB need not state their occupation but do need to meet all eligibility requirements.
“Our priority is to make sure all Canadians, including vulnerable Canadians, have the support they need, and we will continue working with our partners across the country to do so,” the statement said.
torontosun.com
Amnesty International is one of 125 human rights organizations calling on the government to provide emergency income supports to sex workers.
During the pandemic, sex workers have been faced with the same hurdles as millions of other Canadians forced to stop working — no job and no income, but all the same bills to pay.
Where others can get emergency funding through CERB (the Canada Emergency Response Benefit), sex workers, for the most part, cannot. This is viewed by some as the latest indicator that those engaged in the industry need the same job protections and security as everyone else in the work force.
Advocates say it’s time for the government to decriminalize all aspects of sex work.
In 2014, selling sex was made illegal in Canada, a change that made everything worse for the very people it was supposed to protect.
“We’re finding the pandemic is really putting a microscope on issues of human rights and inequity,” said Jackie Hansen of Amnesty International Canada. “This is one of the most marginalized groups in Canada, even before the pandemic. Criminalization doesn’t work. It pushes sex workers into the shadows. You have no protections and bad things happen.
“These laws have further put sex workers in danger.”
Decriminalization of sex work is the eventual goal and the immediate goal, according to advocates, is desperately needed financial relief.
“Sex workers complied with social distancing like everyone else,” said Hansen. “They don’t want to get sick and they don’t want to make their families sick. Most stopped working. But most can’t get any government support, and they still need to pay for food, rent, medications, kids’ expenses … There is some limited and very restricted government support, like grocery cards.
“They need access to the same supports as other people.”
To add insult to injury, added Hansen, “They continue to enforce sex work laws if you do work. So where does that leave some people? You can’t work and you’ve lost all income, but there are no supports for you. If you do work, the laws on the books are being enforced during a pandemic.”
Hansen explained that various organizations across the country helping sex workers could distribute government funds to ensure people can pay their bills.
“They know who is struggling. And they know how to get funds to these people, while protecting safety and anonymity. That’s their job. It’s totally possible,” she said.
“But we keep hearing, ‘No.’ So the message is, the rights of some people are more important than others.”
A spokesman for Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Employment and Workforce Development, offered a generic statement that read in part, “We understand that the impacts of COVID-19 are being felt disproportionately by women. This crisis has also further exposed and exacerbated the underlying vulnerabilities for the most marginalized in our society.”
The statement noted that those applying for CERB need not state their occupation but do need to meet all eligibility requirements.
“Our priority is to make sure all Canadians, including vulnerable Canadians, have the support they need, and we will continue working with our partners across the country to do so,” the statement said.
Sex workers left without income support during COVID-19
Amnesty International is one of 125
torontosun.com
