Insight for Sunday 22 March 2009

Almost six years ago New Zealand became a world-leader in prostitution law reform by fully decriminalising all aspects of sex work.

The Prostitution Reform Act was intended to make sex workers safer, and protect those identified as being most at risk of violence and exploitation.

But three street prostitutes have been murdered in Christchurch since the law came into effect, and even six years on local authorities are still battling to find ways to stamp out the world's oldest profession.

So has anything actually changed for the better for sex workers on the streets?

Picture: Working on the streets is risky business