Prostitution Inquiry Sought By Congress

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31085, 14 June 1966, Page 2

Prostitution Inquiry Sought By Congress

An inquiry into all aspects of prostitution had been called for by the twenty-third congress of the International Abolitionist Federation, which met in Rome last month, Mrs Doreen Grant, Dominion president of the National Council of Women, said yesterday. Mrs Grant represented the council at the congress.

The congress, considering that there was a dearth of scientific investigation into prostitution, recommended the formation of a working party to study the subject, said Mrs Grant.

The inquiry would be concerned with the sociological. psychological and medicosocial aspects of prostitution and would begin with national pilot studies and comparisons of past and present civilisations.

Although, in many countries prostitution remained a real problem, one specialist said there was little worth-while writing on the subject He thought that although there were more promiscuous amateurs, prostitution was decreasing, said Mrs Grant The congress called for economic and social measures to ensure a normal life for families, and for the education of both sexes in social and moral behaviour. Mrs Grant said that all 25 countries represented re ported a rapid rise in venereal disease, especially amongst youth. One expert said prostitution was not considered an important cause of venereal disease among young people, she said. A recent World Health

Organisation report gave the main reasons for the increase of the disease amongst youth as:— Ignorance of the nature and meaning of sex and of the dangers of abuse of the sexual function. The decline in religious faith. The emancipation of women. (This, Mrs Grant considers, questionable.) The lack of discipline In home life and of parental discipline. Failure of fear as a deterrent Emphasis on sexuality in books, plays, films, advertisements, and on television. Misinterpretation of psychological teaching. Earlier physical development. Serious Investigations The causes represented the conclusions of those who had carried out serious social investigations and whose work was to study venereal diseases and the patients who suffered from them, said Mrs Grant The congress agreed it was essential to insist that where

groups of men were brought to work away from their homes, particularly by large international groups, housing for familes should be compulsory. Delegates agreed that it was foolish to preach to such workers on moral grounds that they practise restraint for long periods. Although the employing groups claimed it was uneconomic to provide housing, the congress considered it far more uneconomic to provide breeding grounds for bad morals and evil diseases instead of dignified and decent family life, said Mrs Grant