11 Feb Say NO to the criminalisation of clients of sex workers
Тhe Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee has recently voted on a report to the European Union recommending the criminalisation of clients of sex workers, also known as the Swedish Model.
This repressive measure has been denounced by ALL sex workers’ organisations in Europe as a measure that would only increase our vulnerability and our stigma, which are the root causes of the violence against sex workers.
A vast number of organisations, from those working directly with sex workers[6] to LGBT[7] and women’s rights organisationshave also denounced this paternalistic and dangerous measure.
The draft report by Ms Honeyball is based on flawed methodology, using references from discredited authors and conflate sex work with trafficking against the recommendations of anti-trafficking organisations themselves.
The report makes reference to the vulnerability of sex workers to HIV, but ignores all the recommendations from health organisations including World Health Organisation and UNAIDS who have taken position against the criminalisation of clients.
The lives of millions of women and men could be affected by a measure which has been widely criticised by experts and academics and has proven completely ineffective and counter-productive: in 15 years, since the law was voted in Sweden in 1999, there is simply no evidence that the number of sex workers or victims of trafficking have decreased.
We urge you to vote against this report. Sex workers and their families in the European Union need to have their voices heard and our rights respected.
Please vote against the criminalisation of clients of sex workers,