‘Sex Work and the Transnational Circulation of Dutch and Swedish Policy Models’

The regulation of sex work has precipitated much debate over the years, with differing opinions on what constitutes ‘best practice’. However there is yet to be a study that critically examines the international circulation of sex work policy. There is a growing set of literature under the banner of ‘policy mobilities’ studies which explores the ways in which policy and practice move around. This paper will explore how policy mobilities literature can be applied to the context of sex work.
It will focus on the construction and mobilisation of two policy ‘models’ that appear often in regulatory debates: the ‘Swedish model’ and the ‘Dutch model’. Both of these ‘models’ have influenced policy decisions internationally but this paper will focus on their impact on UK policy debates and implementations.