Decrim now world news digest for January 2026

January Is National Human Trafficking Awareness Month in USA

USA, New York

January 1, 2026

New York based NGO Decriminalize Sex Work reminding us that January in USA is National Human Trafficking Awareness Month.

This Human Trafficking Awareness Month, it is vital to move beyond fear based narratives and focus on the facts, because accurate information is essential to creating policies that truly support trafficking survivors and prevent harm.

Below are some of the most common trafficking myths — and the realities behind them.

Myth: Trafficking victims are always kidnapped, restrained, and desperate to be rescued.

Reality: Trafficking does not require physical restraint or kidnapping. Many people are controlled through psychological coercion, emotional manipulation, economic dependence, or threats related to housing, immigration status, or personal safety. Survivors may not identify as victims, may not seek help from law enforcement, or may remain in exploitative situations because it feels like their safest or most viable option at the time. The idea that all trafficking victims need to be “rescued” can cause harm by stripping people of agency and ignoring the complexity of their experiences.

Myth: Sex trafficking is the only form of human trafficking.

Reality: While sex trafficking receives the most media attention, labor trafficking more widespread and often far less visible. People are trafficked into forced labor across industries, including agriculture, construction, domestic work, food service, and caregiving. Human trafficking exists on a spectrum of exploitation, and individuals may experience multiple forms of abuse at once. Focusing exclusively on sex trafficking leaves many survivors without recognition or support.

Myth: Human trafficking only affects foreign nationals or undocumented immigrants.

Reality: Human trafficking impacts both U.S. citizens and non citizens alike. People of all ages, genders, backgrounds, and immigration statuses can experience trafficking. Certain vulnerabilities such as poverty, housing insecurity, prior trauma, LGBTQ+ identity, or involvement in criminalized economies can increase risk, but there is no single “type” of trafficking victim.

Myth: Human trafficking and sex work are the same thing.

Reality: Under U.S. law, trafficking involves force, fraud, or coercion, or any commercial sex involving a minor. Consensual adult sex work does not meet this definition. Conflating sex work with trafficking erases the experiences of trafficking survivors while also harming sex workers by subjecting them to increased policing, stigma, and surveillance. Clear legal distinctions matter because they shape how people are treated by systems meant to provide protection and support.

Myth: Decriminalizing consensual adult prostitution will increase human trafficking.

Reality: There is no evidence that decriminalizing consensual adult prostitution increases trafficking. In fact, criminalization creates conditions that make trafficking harder to detect and safer reporting nearly impossible. When sex workers fear arrest, they are less likely to report abuse, coercion, or exploitation, including trafficking. Decriminalization removes barriers to reporting, reduces reliance on third parties, and allows survivors and sex workers alike to seek help without fear of punishment. Policies rooted in evidence, not myth, are essential to preventing trafficking and supporting those who experience it.

Source portal decriminalizesex.work

Thai parties pledge support for sex workers ahead of election

Thailand, Bangkok

January 26, 2026

Ahead of the February 8, 2026 election, various political parties in Thailand have expressed their support for sex workers, pledging to enhance protection and dignity under the law in a nation where prostitution remains illegal.

The Service Workers in Group (Swing) Foundation recently organised a forum titled ‘Sex (Worker) and the City’ to explore policies related to sex work. Representatives from the Pheu Thai, People’s, Movement, Thai Sang Thai, and Democrat parties convened at Cowboy 2 bar in Soi Cowboy, a well-known night entertainment area, to engage in this discussion.

The conversation highlighted the potential role of politics in improving the lives of sex workers and urged the forthcoming government to commit to their cause with concrete policies.

Despite the extensive nature of the sex industry in Thailand, the Prevention and Suppression of Prostitution Act still criminalises sex work.

In October 2023, sex work was classified as a regulatory offence in an effort to promote decriminalisation, as announced in the Royal Gazette. Under the new regulation, only officials from the Social Development and Human Security Ministry are authorised to impose fines.

Nonetheless, sex workers frequently encounter exploitation by officials through extortion and bribes, as the legal status of their occupation remains ambiguous. Issues such as unfair wages, overwork, and abuse from both employers and clients are often overlooked.

Patdarasm Thongsaluaykorn, a Pheu Thai Party list candidate, emphasised the significant economic contribution of sex workers both nationally and at the household level.

‘No matter how Thailand tries to deny the existence of this profession, the country needs to admit that many families’ breadwinners are doing this job,’

Patdarasm stated that sex workers should receive protection under the Entertainment Places Act, enabling them to be recognised as formal workers.

Natthaya Boonphakdi, a People’s Party list candidate, described the issue as a human rights matter due to the discrimination sex workers face. Criminalisation results in their exclusion from social and legal protection, and she argued that decriminalisation is essential for improving rights.

Sex work is integral to the party’s ‘state reform’ pillars, intended to promote transparency and eliminate corruption. The party is committed to advocating for an Anti-Discrimination Bill after the election.

‘While it may take time for sex work to be decriminalised, inclusive social welfare can be offered immediately,’

Kannavee Suebsaeng, leader of the Movement Party and PM candidate, supports decriminalisation, stating that ‘sex work is work.’

‘What right does the state have to decide whether individuals can use their own bodies to earn a living?’

He argued that criminalising sex work perpetuates corruption and discrimination. He committed to advocating for recognition under the International Labour Organisation’s Recommendation No. 204 to facilitate workers’ transition to the formal economy.

Kannavee also suggested reforming labour laws to provide equal protection for all workers. ‘As long as the law makes them wrong, it will be used as a tool to violate their rights,’

Best Wongpairojkul, Thai Sang Thai deputy secretary-general, stated that sex work ‘should not remain in the shadows’ and called for decriminalisation. He raised concerns about whether a history in sex work would impact future employment.

‘We need to work together on raising awareness, regardless of who is in government,’

Issara Sunthornwat, the Democrat deputy leader, mentioned that while his party is still deliberating on decriminalisation, it acknowledges that current laws fail to reduce crime and instead create grey areas for corruption.

‘The problem is not the sex workers themselves, but the system that facilitates corruption and exploitation,’

He added that the party has a policy to protect informal workers through improved contracts and vowed to address human trafficking in the sex industry, according to Bangkok Post.

Source portal thethaiger.com

DSW Legal Director Contributes Expertise at NYC Mayor’s Office Convening on Human Trafficking

USA, New York

January 27, 2026

DSW Legal Director Melissa Broudo participated in Across Systems and Sectors: Reducing Silos in NYC’s Response to Human Trafficking, one of the panels at a conference organized by the NYC Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence. The event brought together leaders from law, healthcare, social services, and public health to explore how New York City can strengthen coordination among systems that respond to human trafficking.

The discussion emphasized the importance of cross-sector collaboration, improved information-sharing, and survivor-centered practices that reduce retraumatization and close service gaps. Broudo highlighted the need for coordinated approaches that uphold the rights and dignity of survivors, while ensuring that anti-trafficking efforts do not rely on criminalization or punitive systems that harm marginalized communities.

Panelists included representatives from the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office, NYC Health + Hospitals, the Urban Resource Institute, and other key partners. Together, they examined how to make New York’s anti-trafficking response more integrated, equitable, and effective.

DSW was honored to contribute its legal and policy expertise to this important citywide conversation. Broudo’s participation reinforces DSW’s effective commitment to advancing public health and human rights through collaboration, prevention, and survivor-informed advocacy.

Source portal decriminalizesex.work

Japan moves for the first time to revise anti-prostitution law

Japan, Tokyo

January 30, 2026

The Justice Ministry is moving toward revising Japan’s anti-prostitution law to punish the sex buyers, addressing a legal imbalance that has only targeted the sellers for 70 years, according to government sources.

A panel of experts will be established as early as February to discuss the changes, which could also include increasing the penalties.

The anti-prostitution law was enacted in 1956 with the aim of preventing "prostitution," defined as exchanging money for sexual intercourse with an unspecified partner, on the grounds such as "corrupting public morals."

However, the sexual act itself is not punished. Instead, it criminalizes actions such as facilitating and managing prostitution.

Sellers caught soliciting or waiting for customers in public places can face up to six months in prison or a fine of up to 20,000 yen ($130).

However, the law does not punish the customers.

While paying for sex with a minor is already illegal under the law on punishment of child prostitution and child pornography, and the child welfare law, there is no penalty for buying sex from an adult.

The push for reform gained momentum after a human trafficking case in November, where a 12-year-old Thai girl was rescued from a Tokyo "massage parlor."

The case prompted calls for legal reform in the Diet.

In an extraordinary Diet session last autumn, the discussion turned to the lack of a provision in the anti-prostitution law to punish the "buying side," leading to a series of calls for legal reform, with comments such as, "There is a distorted structure where only women who are forced into selling sex are arrested."

In response, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said, "Taking into account recent social conditions, we will conduct the necessary review on the state of regulations related to prostitution."

She instructed Justice Minister Hiroshi Hiraguchi to conduct a review, and the Justice Ministry had been investigating the operational status of the law.

Source portal asahi.com