The **Nordic Model**, also referred to as the **Swedish Model** or ***Equality Model* is a unique approach for policy measures addressing prostitution and human trafficking. This revolutionary model, which originated in Sweden in 1999, seeks to target the demand side of the market by making the purchasing of sex illegal, while not penalizing those who sell it. At it’s core this model is premised on the belief that prostitution is exploitive and is a form of violence, in particular against women. Several countries – Norway, Iceland, Canada, France, Ireland – have since followed suit, and the model has sparked worldwide debate about its effectiveness in preventing human trafficking and improving the conditions of sex workers.
Hallmarks of the Nordic Model
1. **The Criminalisation of Sex Buyers**
Central to the Nordic Model is the decriminalisation of the buyer of sexual services. This is the policy to target the demand side of the sex trade that is needed to stop human trafficking, (“Demand Side Policy Update, Seattle.”) The argument is based on feminist theories, which regard prostitution as a facilitator of gender subordination. Striving to mitigate the profitability of the sex industry, the model aims to discourage buyers and possibly make them less of a target for traffickers. There is evidence to suggest that the model has led to a demonstrable decrease in street prostitution in Sweden and as an attractive location for traffickers.
2. **Sex Workers Decriminalized**
Also an essential part of the Nordic Model: Those who sell sex are not criminalized. It’s a way of shielding sex workers from the law and thus being able to treat them more as victims of exploitation than as lawbreakers. Critics of this aspect posit that while sex workers are decriminalized, many are still targeted by the police more frequently and stigmatization, both of which can increase vulnerability and reduce access to protection and support.
3. **Exit Strategies: Support Services and Beyond**
The model stresses the need for help in preparing and encouraging people to exit the sex trade market. This can include safe housing, trauma counseling, an education, job training and financial assistance. Yet their effectiveness has been called into question, as many are under-resourced and do little to accommodate the varied needs of sex workers, including undocumented migrants.
**Heavy Penalties for Exploitation**
Or strong laws against human trafficking, pimping and keeping brothels, which make up another vital element of the Nordic Model. They are aimed at breaking the systems that provide for exploitation and holding those who perpetrate sex crimes accountable. Although the law is in line with international conventions such as the Palermo Protocol, there are still issues in ensuring the laws are applied with regularity and victims are provided with support.
5. **Public Education and Awareness Programs**
Such projects to alter societal attitudes are also part of the Nordic Model. Education campaigns under the model aim to increase social awareness that prostitution is a form of exploitation. While these efforts have received wide public support, critics say they frequently over-simplify the issue of sex work and could perpetuate stereotypes about sex workers.
Challenges and Criticisms
Though well-designed, Nordic Model has received intense criticism from all quarters of the commentariat.
**Greater Risk**: Critics say that by forcing sex work underground, the model makes sex workers more vulnerable, exposing them to violence and exploitation.
**Inequal Implementation**: The Nordic Model has only been unevenly implemented and the results are mixed at best.
**Stigma**: As the model presents sex work as inevitably and fundamentally victimizing, it can generate or produce stigma against sex workers and marginalize those who do not feel like victims and decided to enter in sex work for a number of reasons.
**Migrant Labour**: The treatment of undocumented migrant workers under the Nordic Model has been questioned. A lot of them are in a precarious situation and have no access to the services they need, and that's in part because immigration enforcement is thrown in with efforts to combat human trafficking.
Complicated with Human Trafficking
The effects of the Nordic Model on trafficking are complex and debated. Although proponents claim that it has resulted in a reduction in trafficking, it is important not to speculate any simplistic correlation between coaxing and trafficking on one hand and law enforcement, cultural contexts and support services on the other.
Implications for Future Research and Policy
The effectiveness of the Nordic Model in addressing human trafficking can be strengthened in several ways:
**Supported Services:** Investing in more support services will support sex workers and people wanting to leave the industry more effectively.
- **Data Collection**: A refined data strategy is necessary to address the data-gap concerning impact of the model on trafficking and prostitution.
- **Working With Key Stakeholders: **Initiating discussions among law enforcement, civil society, and sex worker advocacy organizations can help avoid unintended negative consequences and make outcomes more equitable.
- **Preventing** - A whole of society response which addresses the social factors contributing to trafficking, such as poverty and gender discrimination, as well as the legal, ethical and social issues that need to be addressed in order to put an end to trafficking.
In conclusion, the Norwegian model is part of a conscientiously change of approach to human trafficking and prostitution on a societal level – looking at the demand and a model that see prostitution as a form of gender-based violence. But for such a policy to be effective, it needs to move toward addressing systemic inequities, be multifactored and take a supporting role while also recognizing individual autonomy. The Nordic Model of sex trade regulation will only live up to its potential as a tool to defend human rights and challenge sexual exploitation if it becomes more nuanced.