SINCE our country became independent, there have been calls for action to determine the status of prostitution in our society.
We’ve read passionate demands for prostitution to be legalised and outraged rebuttals from those who see such a suggestion as an attack on family life and Christianity.
But all the verbal battles have achieved nothing.
Those in favour of legalising prostitution and their opponents remain as diametrically opposed as ever.
In the meantime, prostitution continues to expand rapidly.
We are told that this growth mirrors the poverty afflicting our less educated and unemployed urban sectors.
Education and the creation of employment are put forward as the solutions to prostitution.
They may solve those aspects of prostitution that are a direct outcome of a desperate need to generate money, but we wonder how many urban prostitutes do not fall into that category.
Prostitution has long been regarded as the world’s oldest profession; records of prostitutes and their activities begin at the dawn of recorded history.
That is perhaps the strongest piece of evidence we need to take into account; if this activity has been a feature of each and every society on the face of the earth since history began, what likelihood is there that PNG will be the first nation to eradicate these practices?
None.
And so, if society believes that action should be taken over this issue, exactly what do our leaders and our people want?
This is where the debate breaks into dozens of arguments, ranging from a completely open approach to the activities of prostitutes, to draconian action against them by whatever means are available – and every conceivable approach in between.
What has been the experience of other countries?
In some countries, prostitution and brothels are legal; this is the case in many European nations and also to varying degrees in the states of Australia and other countries.
Justification for the decriminalisation of prostitution often centres on the medical aspect; in an age where sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS are rampant, that is understandable.
If prostitution became legal it would be possible to maintain regular health checks of prostitutes and to identify serious sexual illnesses.
It would also be easier to ensure that brothels were free of criminals and pimps and were clean and that appropriately sited buildings were used, as far removed from family residential areas as possible.
Many of the crimes associated with prostitution stem from others who make use of the trade to blackmail and to further their own ends – decriminalisation might well put a stop to such activities.
We imagine that nobody regards prostitution as either a desirable occupation or a desirable activity to plant within our societies.
But the fact is that prostitution is already planted and flourishing and if we’re honest, we’re fully aware of that.
Would prostitution help to control the spread of HIV/AIDS?
That is a possibility.
There are indications in other parts of the world that rates of infection drop when monitored prostitution is in place.
Would prostitution lead to increased domestic violence, abuse of children and the destruction of family units?
Equally, that is a possibility and a frightening one; we do not need any growth in family violence and abuse figures.
The role of Christianity is a further major issue in this matter. Prostitution is certainly against the beliefs of the majority of practising Christians.
They are often dismissive of sex as a means of generating money. They claim prostitutes make little effort to find alternatives and they believe that there are dozens of more acceptable ways of achieving that goal.
But very few indeed are prepared to assist the under-educated and the poverty stricken to explore those alternatives. The result is that those who are desperate, rapidly return to prostitution as the easy answer.
We welcome Mr Powes Parkop’s realistic initiation of public discussion of this subject.
It is bound to be highly contentious and it seems unlikely to reach a rapid conclusion.
But it is valuable to openly discus these issues, hopefully without too much rancour, the better to reach a solution that will be acceptable to as many Papua New Guineans as possible.
Let the discussion continue.