We are still far from raising this question in the Arab World. Not only due to prevalent religious values, but also because most intellectuals and activists prefer to focus on more urgent issues in a region torn by political turmoil. The question usually raised is "how to combat prostitution?"
Lately, however, we have also seen a constructive debate over how to combat human trafficking for both cheap labor and prostitution. Eastern European and South Asian women are lured -- usually through agents -- into traveling to Arab, mostly Gulf, countries for fake job offers.
Once they arrive, they are usually given very low paying jobs placing them under pressure to be coerced into prostitution. Stripped of their passports by their employers, they become semi-slaves unable to escape until their "contracts "expire.
There is definitely more awareness of this form of human exploitation, and even some press exposes, but no reference to legalizing prostitution.
As a woman, I find legalizing prostitution to be a morally tough question.
While understanding the social, economic and health reasons behind the calls for legalizing prostitution, I find difficult to accept such a degrading status of women.
This is not a moral judgment on prostitutes -- I do not feel entitled to such judgment -- but a moral dilemma.
It is hypocritical not to recognize the social and economic conditions that breed prostitution, but I find it difficult to accept such dehumanization of women.
May be I am speaking from a position of privilege and comfort and it is necessary to deal with the hard facts of life for a considerable number of women engaged in prostitution.
But in the end I prefer providing protection to these women -- who are often easy prey to sadism, torture and even murder -- than maintaining a lofty "moral position". The spread of course, of AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases are other factors of equal import.
I can see -- albeit with unease -- how legalizing prostitution in some areas of the world could be beneficial, especially where tourism feeds on it and people have few alternatives
for survival.
But such legalization should involve protection of prostitutes, ban forced prostitution, and bring with it socio-economic policies that reduce reasons for the coercion of women and
men -- especially girls and boys into prostitution due to severe hardship and hunger.
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