Press release from grassroots organisations working with thousands of people in prostitution in all countries, survivors of prostitution, French and European associations fighting male violence.
Following a complaint lodged in 2019, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) was called upon to rule on the criminalisation of the purchase of sexual acts, accused of “endangering the physical and psychological integrity and the health of persons in prostitution” and threatening “the right to respect to privacy of prostituted persons and their clients”. In its decision of 25 July, the ECHR unanimously rejected all of these complaints.
We, the grassroots organisations working with thousands of people in prostitution in all countries, survivors of prostitution, and organisations working to combat male violence, welcome this decision by the ECHR. It should be noted that this decision was taken unanimously and without ambiguity. The Court highlights the sustained and democratic nature of the legislative process for the 2016 law and recognises that penalising “clients” is inseparable from the law’s overall provisions. It also acknowledges that no one today has the capacity to establish that the law would have had a detrimental effect on prostituted persons, and points out that the law took extremely thorough account of the social and health situation of prostituted persons.
We state that the Abolitionist model is the approach that guarantees the best protection for all people in prostitution and provides access to their basic rights, first and foremost health. The 2016 law thus forms a coherent whole, providing support for people in prostitution (exit routes, protection measures), raising awareness among young people and tackling pimping and “demand“. Only by recognising prostitution as a form of violence can we provide effective support for people in prostitution. What prevents them from accessing their rights is not the law: it’s the lack of enforcement.
To improve access to rights and health care for prostituted persons, the law must be enforced more effectively throughout France.
We hope that the ECHR’s decision will breathe new life into the application of the law in France, as well as the legislative reforms underway in other European countries (Spain, Germany, etc.).
We continue to call for the following measures to be put in place:
- Offering everyone an alternative to prostitution: Enabling all people in prostitution who wish so to leave prostitution (increasing the number of exit pathways and improving them by increasing the financial allowance and the duration of the residency permit during and after the exit pathway, and financial support).
- Initiate major national campaigns to change the way society looks at prostituted persons, with a specific focus on buyers of sexual acts;
- Put an end to impunity for buyers of sexual acts and pimps, including online;
- Generalise prevention to ensure a future without commodification for young people through the deployment of genuine sexuality education and the prevention and care of minors who are victims of sexual violence;
- Make a financial effort commensurate with the stakes, estimated at €2.4 billion over 10 years for France.
Media contacts and interview requests:
Alice Rahmoun – Coalition for the Abolition of Prostitution (CAP International)
alice@cap-international.org
First Signatories:
European Women’s Lobby
CAP International, France
Bündis Nordisches Modell, Germany
Amicale du Nid, France
Stiftelsen 1000 Möjligheter, Sweden
European Network of Migrant Women (EnOW)
Space International, USA
Equality Now
Fondation Scelles, France
European Women’s Lobby Bulgarian Platform, Bulgaria
Bundesverband Nordisches Modell
Ruhama (Ireland)
Lobby Europeu De Dones (Catalunya, Spain)
CATW Coalition Against Trafficking in Women (USA)
Nordic Model Now! (UK)
CFFB Conseil des Femmes francophones de Belgique (Belgique)
Immigrant Council of Ireland
CHILD10 , Sweden
CLE La coordination française pour le Lobby européen ds Femmes (France)
Comisión Para la Investigación de Malos Tratos A Mujeres (Spain)
SISTERS (Germany)
Verein feministischer Diskurs
SOLWODI Solidarity with women in distress/Solidarität mit Frauen in Not
Swedish Women’s Lobby (Sweden)
DOFEMCO Docentes Feministas por la Coeducación
Društvo za nenasilno komunikacijo (Slovenia)
ENCOMPASS (Scotland)
Afghan Woman ORG. (Afghanistan)
AkiDwA Akina Dada wa Africa (Ireland)
ASOCIM (Galicia, Spain
AMECO, Spain
Associazione Aura (Italy)
Euromed Feminist Inititative
Flora Tristan , France
Forum Femmes Médierranée (France)
GARENAK Emakume Feministak (Spain)
Greek League For Women’s Rights (Greece)
Haurralde Fundazioa
HealthRight (Ukraine)
Hungarian Women’s Lobby (Hungary)
ICASM International Coalition for the abolition of Surrogate Motherhood
IROKO (Italy)
Isala (Belgique)
International Centre on sexual exploitation
KOPZI (Ukraine)
Lobby Europeo de Mujeres en España (Spain)
League LegaLife , France
Libres MarianneS LMS
CQFD Lesbiennes Féministes (France)
Lietuvos Moteur Lobiniste organizacija
La Ligue du Droit international des Femmes
Maisha e.V. African Women in Germany
Centrs Marta (Latvia)
Mouvement du Nid, France
Conseil National des Femmes du Luxembourg, Luxembourg
Forum Politica Feministo Madrid , Spain
Le Monde selon Les Femmes, France
Mediterranean Institute of Gender Studies
Memoire Traumatique et Victimologie , France
Mén non,
Obreras Empowered, Cyprus
FiLiA
Weavers of Hope
FDA Femmes pour le dire, Femmes pour agir, France
FNCIDFF Fédération Nationale des CIDFF, France
Solidarités Femmes, France
Breaking Free
Femmes Solidaires
ECVF, France
Collectif Féministe contre le Viol , France
Réussir l’égalité Femmes-Hommes
Osez le Féminisme
ZÉROMACHO
Regards de femmes
Chiennes de garde
Marche Mondiale des Femmes
Maison des Femmes de Paris
RADICAL Girlsss (young women’s group of EnoW)
Alternative World
Collectif Abolitionist Nantais
Les Amazones
Réseau Féministes Ruptures
L’Assemblée des Femmes
LEs Effronté.es
Le CRI
CIAMS Coalition Internationale pour l’Abolition de la Maternité de Substitution
Collectif Droits des Femmes
CNFF
Collectif Abolition 34
#CAPP
Survivantes de la Prostitution
Espace Simone de Beauvoir
EVA Center, USA
CLES
Vancouver Rape Relief, Canada
Maiti, Nepal
Apneaap, India
Talita, Sweden
WOW
O Ninho, Brasil
Empodérame, Colombia
Hamari Muskan, India
EXIT
Stígamót, Island
Acción Contra la Trata, Spain
Comisión contra la Trata, Spain
KAFA Enough, Lebanon
Democracy Developpement Klaipeda, Lithuania
Comisión unidos vs trata, Spain
People serving girls at risk, Malawi
CGT, France
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