Pacific

Fiji's Womens Crisis Centre calls for review of prostitution laws

16:21 pm on 4 October 2004

The Womens' Crisis Centre in Fiji is calling for a review of the laws on prostitution.

The centre's co-ordinator, Shameema Ali, says there's a victimisation of women who are prostitutes while the people using their services aren't targetted.

She was speaking after the Minister of Women, Adi Asenaca Caucau, said half the members of parliaments were clients of prostitutes but refused to name them.

Ms Ali says the MPs should follow their code of conduct but the law itself needs to be changed.

"There is a law against soliciting and loitering. And, often, the people who are actually using prostitutes, are not prosecuted but the women are."

Shameema Ali says there's been a steady increase in the number of young women and Asian women who are taking to the streets.