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The Nordic model is sometimes also referred to as the "ban on the consumption of prostitution", the "abolitionist model" or the "equality model". This is a regulatory approach, which makes buying "sexual services" an illegal act. Economic activity aimed at profiting from another person's prostitution, such as pimping, is also prohibited. Prostitution itself is seen within the framework of the model as a harm to those who engage in it, and therefore they are provided with rehabilitation services and exit from the circle of prostitution. This approach has been adopted in Sweden (1999), Norway (2009), Iceland (2009), Canada (2014), Northern Ireland (2015), France (2016), Ireland (2017) and Israel (2020).

What is the Nordic model adopted by Israel?

The Israeli media and social networks call the regulatory series of the sex industry by the word "institutionalization". This term has no equivalent in the English language, so we will refer to the sex industry in the country as "regulated", when places of prostitution (brothels, brothels, massage parlors that also offer prostitution services) are given the legal status of a business or a limited company. The types of regulation that meet the definition This may be different, and in the framework of the article we will focus on some of them.

The sex industry is legal around the world

In September 2020, about two months after the entry into force of the law prohibiting the consumption of prostitution, the Tel Aviv municipality made a dramatic announcement: the existing strip clubs will be closed, and the new clubs, if they ask to open, will not receive a license. Tel Aviv was the last city in Israel, where legal strip clubs operated. Therefore, the meaning of this announcement was supposedly the elimination of the strip clubs in the country. In 2021, the municipality reversed the decision and allowed the reopening of one club, Shando. This change illustrates the tipping point of the fight in the sex industry, when it comes to clubs.

The strip clubs in Israel: the struggle and the outlook for the future

Legislators all over the world recognize that the sex industry is a complex phenomenon that causes many damages to all stakeholders, first and foremost to those engaged in it. In more conservative countries, the "normative society" tends to be seen as a victim of the sex industry, while in the Nordic model countries (Sweden, France, Israel) the industry is seen as harming first and foremost the women caught up in it. The different perceptions regarding the identity of the victim and regarding the most effective way to minimize the damages have given rise to a variety of legal models. These models are many, but they can be sorted into individual categories. In this article, we will separate the countries that want to eradicate the prostitution industry from the countries that want to put up with its existence, regulate it and try to monitor its damages.

Regulators dealing with the sex industry: approaches in the world

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