A spokeswoman for the Taipei-based Collective of Sex Workers and Supporters (COSWAS) said the group organized the demonstration to highlight its appeal because a "consensus conference" commissioned by the Executive Yuan will take place in November to discuss whether prostitutes should be exempt from punishment.

Taiwan's legal system only punishes prostitutes, not their patrons, and mainly targets women who walk the streets looking for customers rather than women who work in bars or clubs.

For years, the COSWAS and other prostitutes' rights activists have been pushing for the scrapping of Article 80 of the Social Order Management Act which only mandates punitive measures for the prostitutes, while allowing the men who pay for their services to get off scot-free.

At a time when the world is engulfed in serious financial turmoil and credit crunch, the COSWAS spokeswoman said, domestic jobless rates are skyrocketing, adding to the economic harships for underprivileged families.

Noting that the some 100,000 sex workers in Taiwan face a constant struggle to support themselves and their families, she added that the government should abolish the unfair law and legalize prostitution.

If the sex trade were to be legalized, better management could be introduced to provide better protection for sex workers, most of whom are socially underprivileged, she added.