A Critical Analysis of Canada’s Sex Work Discourse and Policy: From Federal to Local

Abstract

Through an analysis of the 2022 federal House of Commons standing committee review of the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act and selected provincial and municipal documents, this thesis illustrates some of the ways that the discourses articulated during national policy debates empower certain groups while disempowering the people these legislative responses ostensibly support and protect. I turn to the Manitoba context to demonstrate how these discourses play out through a study of local policy and programming. Through a conjunctural analysis, this thesis argues that a massive number of resources are being poured into police, prosecution services, and community organizations to combat sex work in Manitoba.