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CAP International: a historic third World Congress against sexual exploitation in Mainz
01 April 2019
After Paris (2014) and New Delhi (2017), CAP International organised its third World Congress against the sexual exploitation of women and girls in Mainz, Germany.
Over three days, more than 400 activists from 30 countries, including many young German feminists, gathered to affirm their commitment to abolitionism.
This Congress was co-organised with SOLWODI (German member of CAP International) and Armut und Gesundheit e.V., with the support and participation of the entire German abolitionist movement. Through this Congress, CAP Intl and its members sought to raise awareness about the realities of the prostitution system and to break the isolation, indifference and widespread exploitation experienced by hundreds of victims of prostitution and trafficking for sexual exploitation around the world.
A march of survivors to open the Congress
Ahead of the Congress, an international march of survivors covering 200 km from France to Germany was initiated by Rosen Hicher, a French survivor, in cooperation with German and international survivors. Rosen Hicher began the international march on 25 March 2019, calling for the abolition of prostitution in Europe and an end to the legalisation of prostitution, particularly in Belgium and Germany. The march was widely supported by trade unions and French and German members of the Council of Europe.
Upon their arrival in Mainz, the participants opened the Congress with :
- a demonstration by survivors and activists in front of Mainz's brothels;
- a press conference with 12 international survivor leaders une conférence de presse
These mobilisations, coupled with the work of the Congress, generated exceptional national media coverage in Germany.
The realities of the prostitution system
The Congress brought together leading speakers, notably from all CAP International member organisations. Ministers, government representatives, members of parliament from various countries and experts in the field were also in attendance.
The various presentations provided an in-depth examination of the consequences of prostitution on the health of women and girls and on gender equality. Participants called for an end to dangerous public policies on prostitution in Germany.
As with every edition, our General Assembly was held, confirming the rapid growth of the movement, which now brings together 34 organisations in 27 countries.
🎥 Watch the video summary of the Congress here.
A turning point for abolitionism in Germany
The choice of Germany as the host country for the 3rd World Congress Against Sexual Exploitation was important for the Coalition for the Abolition of Prostitution. Germany, nicknamed ‘the brothel of Europe’, was one of the first countries to decriminalise pimping in 2002 and legalise brothels.
One of the highlights was the adoption and launch of the Mainz Declaration (Mainzer Erklärun), an abolitionist manifesto signed by 1,000 NGOs and prominent figures.
This Congress had an immediate political impact :
- several leaders of the German Social Democratic Party (SPD), who were present in Mainz, publicly committed to defending the Nordic model (abolition of the purchase of sexual acts) in Germany;
- the German national press directly cited our Congress as the catalyst for a new abolitionist movement in the country
- activists from around the world were able to exchange ideas, unite and build movements to better fight collectively for the abolition of the prostitution system
CAP International: building a global abolitionist movement
By bringing together survivors, activists and organisations from around the world, the World Congress in Mainz helped to strengthen an international feminist movement against prostitution and all forms of sexual exploitation.
CAP International continues to amplify the voices of survivors and work, country by country, to advance the adoption of the abolitionist model and build a world without prostitution.
Read this German press article referring to the Congress.
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