A Knesset committee was shocked yesterday by the testimonies of several prostitutes who chose to publicly share their life stories. Their harsh experiences convinced parliament members to withdraw proposal to legalize prostitution.
This special session focused on the testimony of a prostitute, “Rachel”, who bravely stood before the committee. “Most of the women who do this went through terrible abuse as young girls. Any woman who sinks to this feels nothing, she surrenders her body and escapes through drugs,” said Rachel
Another woman told the committee: “I sat there with my head hung low and a client came and picked me. That was the moment where I broke and became a different person. A person who works as a prostitute is trying to overcome the shame, they are lying to themselves in an effort to repress it, to say you can get used to this, but you can’t”.
These words should be a constant reminder: women do not choose to prostitute. It was a very courageous act on the part of the women who came and expressed themselves. Prostitutes are one of the most oppressed and exploited sectors in society. We must address prostitution as our problem. We can only hope that these testimonies will not only prevent legalized prostitution, but also promote more effective attempts to rescue and rehabilitate women who are forced into prostitution.
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