Tenth Anniversary of the French Abolitionist Law

 © Maggy Daggo

From April 12 to 14, 2026, CAP International organised three days of feminist and abolitionist events in Paris to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the French abolitionist law. More than 1,000 people from around the world gathered in Paris. These events marked a historic momentum defined by sisterhood, solidarity, and a convergence of the international abolitionist movement.

Tenth Anniversary of the French Abolitionist Law

On April 13, 2016, France adopted the law aimed at strengthening the fight against the prostitution system and supporting prostituted persons. CAP International, alongside its French member organisation Mouvement du Nid, mobilised extensively to secure its adoption.

This landmark abolitionist legislation is based on three key measures:

• the decriminalisation of people in prostitution;
• the prohibition of the purchase of sexual acts;
• the implementation nationwide of exit pathways out of prostitution.

This law amended nine legislative codes and marked a world first with the creation of exit pathways from prostitution guaranteeing housing, a monthly allowance, psychosocial support, vocational training, and residence permits for foreign victims.

Ten years later, it represents a feminist and social justice turning point, a true “hold-up against patriarchy,” as stated by CAP International founder Grégoire Théry.

More than 11,000 sex buyers have been arrested, 2,500 people have benefited from an exit pathway from prostitution, and above all, 92% of French people support this legislation.

While considerable efforts are still needed to ensure its full implementation, CAP International wished to bring together the international abolitionist movement to celebrate this feminist victory, the strength of the movement that carried it forward, and to call for the global expansion of the abolitionist model.

Survivors’ Voices at the Heart of the Event

The events began on Sunday, April 12, with a screening of the documentary The Right Track in an iconic Paris cinema. The documentary highlights the journeys of survivors of prostitution and their fight against the prostitution system in the United States.

The screening was followed by a discussion with Janet Jensen from The Jensen Project, CAP International President Meghan Donevan, and Melanie Thompson, survivor expert from SPACE Intl.

The Global March of Survivors & Allies for the Abolition of the Prostitution System Through the Streets of Paris

Nearly 800 people marched through the streets of Paris in support of survivors of prostitution-related violence. A tribute action and speeches honouring women murdered in prostitution took place in front of the Panthéon, led by French and international survivor collectives.

The march then proceeded through the streets of Paris. At the head of the procession were 50 survivors from 14 countries (Colombia, South Korea, Sweden, the United States, Germany, etc.), followed by associations, trade unions, student organisations, political representatives from socialist and communist parties, feminist activists, and many allies. CAP International members, as well as representatives of feminist and abolitionist organisations from around the world, travelled to participate in this act of solidarity.

A Conference at the National Assembly, Ten Years After the Law’s Adoption

On April 13, CAP International organised a conference day at the French National Assembly, a highly symbolic venue where the law had been adopted ten years earlier. The event brought together leading political and institutional figures, including the French and Swedish ministers for Gender Equality — Nina Larsson and Aurore Bergé — as well as National Assembly President Yaël Braun-Pivet. French MPs from across the political spectrum also took part in discussions, alongside parliamentarians from various countries such as Spain, Mexico, and Sweden. Representatives from NGOs and survivor-experts on prostitution and pornography contributed their analyses, testimonies, and field expertise, making this conference a powerful moment of international and cross-party mobilisation.

Discussions focused on the process that led to the adoption of the 2016 abolitionist law, the decisive role played by civil society, survivors, and political leaders who mobilised in favour of the legislation, as well as the current momentum in several countries to advance abolitionist legal frameworks.

The conference amplified the voices of survivors and frontline actors within an institutional space itself, reaffirming the importance of abolitionist policies in combating violence against women and promoting equality.

Voices from the Global South for the Abolition of the Prostitution System

On Tuesday, April 14, 2026, La Cité Audacieuse hosted the event “EXIT” dedicated to exit pathways from prostitution and the fight against the prostitution system.

Four CAP International member organisations — Maiti Nepal, South Kolkata Hamari Muskan, Empodérame, and Talita Asia — working in Nepal, India, Colombia, and Mongolia, shared their expertise and field experience. They highlighted: the impact of the prostitution system in their countries, the populations most targeted and vulnerable, best practices for building sustainable alternatives and comprehensive support toward exiting prostitution.

Ten years after the adoption of the French law, this international mobilisation demonstrates the strength and determination of the abolitionist movement to continue the fight against the prostitution system. Impact studies show that a large majority of participants felt re-energised and strengthened in their commitment against the prostitution system.

• France
• prostitution