Prepared by Patrick Domingo
and Nolan McPeek-Bechtold
The problem of prostitution in Thailand can be described on multiple levels. One of the most prominent injustices is the forcing of women to be sex slaves. Women are held against their will and made to “work” as prostitutes with little or no compensation. Disease or pregnancy may cause them to lose their job and die. Another level of injustice is the support of prostitution by the Thai community. Many women who are sold into prostitution are sold at the age of eleven or twelve by their parents. This is seen as an acceptable and sensible action because a young woman can be sold for a large amount of money. These two points of injustices are the most significant, but there are many other levels of injustice that surround this topic. There is no limit to the justice violations that forced prostitution leads to.
CST #1: Life and Dignity of the Human Person
The Church places a high value on every human life. The Catholic Church believes that all people are equal and have basic human rights that must be recognized. They believe that every human life has equal and precious value, which is being threatened by things like abortion, the death penalty, and assisted suicide. This can be applied to our social justice topic because prostitution involves a sacred act that, according to the church, is meant to be within the boundaries of marriage. This is a direct violation of CST #1 because the dignity of a human being is jeopardized by such an act; it violates the essence of procreation and focuses just on the physical pleasure, rather than the true purpose of procreation and creating a family. See figure 1. CST #2: Call to Family, Community and Participation
Family is one of the key pieces in the growth of a person. A family is where one learns about life, values and the importance of community. Community then continues in teaching that person about the complexities of life. In the growing process one is also called to participate in one’s community and family in order to promote good values. CST #2 can be related to prostitution in Thailand primarily through the involvement that parents have in the process. Since the parents are willingly selling their children as slaves, they are clearly not promoting good values in their daughters. The young women then continue to grow in the community at their brothel, which is abusive and discourages growth and discovery. They have a limited ability to participate because they are held against their will. The prostitution that happens in Thailand violates CST #2 at all possible levels. See figure 2. CST #3: Rights and Responsibilities
Each and every human has a set of basic rights and responsibilites. Everyone should be able to live comfortably and happily. This means that all people are entitled to food, shelter, clothes, healthcare, education and employment. Our responsibility then, as participants in the world community, is to promote and support the basic rights of others. With the prostitution in Thailand the women, while they are given enough food and shelter to live, they lack the rights that allow them to live comfortably. The people in Thailand are also failing to fulfill their responsibility to ensure the rights of the women. If CST #3 were implemented in Thailand the exploitation of the women would quickly draw to a close. See figure 3. CST #4: Option for the Poor and Vulnerable
According to the Church, everyone has a certain holy obligation to serve those less fortunate. This service can be done through donations, Christian service or simply giving the poor and vulnerable the respect and dignity they deserve. The enslaved sex workers in Thailand represent some of the least dignified people in human society. Those who are fortunate enough to have spare money and time should work to dignify or even liberate the women in Thailand. Sending a donation or working to raise awareness, if done on a large scale, could significantly help the prostitutes in Thailand. See figure 4. CST #5: The Dignity of Work and Rights of Workers
The Church has a set of teachings about work. All workers have the right to be treated fairly and be dignified in their work. This means that workers should receive just wages, safe conditions, disability protection, union rights, retirement, job security, and economic options. Employees must always be considered before profits and dividends. Prostitution violates this teaching at every level. The women have very little dignity and no rights. They work as slaves in the hope that someday they will be freed. Slavery and prostitution simply cannot be allowed in the global community. See figure 5. CST #6: Solidarity
There is an inherent connection between all humans. No matter how different one looks or acts, everyone must put aside their differences and stand together as one human race. The poor must be helped and encouraged and the rich must be there to support and help the poor. Although the women in Thailand are thousands of miles away and of a completely different social and ethnic background, they are still humans and they still deserve recognition and dignity. As participants in the global community, it is our responsibility to stand in solidarity with the sex workers in Thailand and give them the support they need and deserve. See figure 6. 
CST #7: Care for God’s Creation
The greatest gift God has given humans is nature. As humans, we are called to be good stewards of this gift and protect and persevere it for the future. There is only one earth so we must take care of it. The process of taking women from rural Thailand to the large cities is slowly dismantling the economy that supports the incredible beauty of rural Thailand. As these beautiful rural areas become more urbanized the beauty of God’s creation is destroyed. See figure 7.
Source Citation
McKenna, Kevin E. A Concise Guide to Catholic Social Teaching. Notre Dame, IN: Ave Maria, 2002. Print.
