Nordic model: How Sweden, Norway, and Denmark regulate sex work and protect sex workers

When we talk about the Nordic model, a policy framework that criminalizes the purchase of sex while decriminalizing the sale, used primarily in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. Also known as the Swedish model, it’s built on the idea that prostitution is a form of gender-based violence—and that stopping demand is the only way to end exploitation. This isn’t about banning sex work outright. It’s about shifting blame from the person selling sex to the person buying it. Since Sweden introduced this law in 1999, the approach has spread across Europe and been praised by some feminists, while criticized by others who say it pushes sex work further underground.

The sex work regulation, the legal and social systems that control how commercial sex operates, often shaped by moral, political, or economic agendas under the Nordic model doesn’t touch the seller. No fines, no arrests, no criminal record. But if you pay for sex, you could face jail time, fines, or public exposure. This changes how police operate. Instead of raiding brothels or arresting workers, they target johns, online ads, and street solicitation from the buyer’s side. The goal? Reduce demand so the market shrinks. But real-world results are messy. In Norway, street-based sex work dropped—but online work grew. In Sweden, some workers say they’re more vulnerable now because they can’t screen clients safely in public spaces.

The sex worker rights, the movement advocating for legal protections, safety, and dignity for people who exchange sex for money, regardless of policy movement is split. Some groups support the Nordic model because they see clients as the root of harm. Others, including many sex workers themselves, argue that criminalizing buyers makes their jobs more dangerous. Without legal recognition, they can’t report violence, access healthcare, or negotiate safer conditions. In countries using this model, support services like housing, counseling, and exit programs are often tied to the law—but they’re underfunded and hard to reach.

This is why the posts you’ll find here matter. They don’t just talk about the law. They dig into how the Nordic model connects to deeper issues: gender roles shaped by Victorian ideals, the erasure of female agency in historical archives, how consent is misunderstood in power imbalances, and why medical and legal systems have long controlled women’s bodies. You’ll see how policies like this don’t exist in a vacuum—they’re built on centuries of moral panic, economic control, and shifting ideas about who deserves protection, and who gets punished.