Sex trade, social and legal aspect of the phenomena and the Albanian criminal legislation provisions

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the effects of Article 113 of the Albanian Criminal Code on women. This article appears to be gender neutral, but it’s enforcement affects women disproportionately and face them with forms of indirect gender discrimination. Through monitoring of Tirana Judicial District Court’s decisions, with object article 113 of the ACC, “Prostitution”, for a four year period from 2010 through 2013 and interviews with women who have exercised prostitution, there are brought in attention the profiles of the individuals who exercise prostitution and also social aspects of this phenomena. The hypothesis raised in this paper is that the profile of an individual who exercises prostitution is a vulnerable woman, with low education, unemployed, with low income, who is faced with family and social problems. This paper analyses the relation between the social aspects and legal dynamics of article 113 of ACC. The changes of 2012 introduced in the article 113 of the ACC brought sanctions for persons who buy the service of prostitution reflecting the process of social changes and understanding of gender equality. The issue of the next steps to address this phenomenon is analysed in this article too.