Abstract

My First Step - A Paradigm Shift to Ending Violence against FSWS (Female Sex Workers): A Pakistani Study

Benish Shabbir and Hassan Siddique

In this study we investigate and explore the violence against FSWS. There are a lot of laws and acts passed which protected the rights of women such as Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) 1996, Prevention and Control of Human Trafficking Ordinance (2002), Prevention and Control of Human Trafficking Rules (2004) and Protection of Women (Criminal laws Amendment) Act (2006). All four of the documents mentioned above, have many gaps and lack of conceptual clarities. For instance, CEDAW is very general in nature and serves more as a guiding principle, interpreted solely by the discretion of the judges. This study is not only discussing the rights of FSWS but tell how to implement the laws and act on them so that they feel protected as a woman.