#LastGirlFirst Fight gained new forces on its DAY 3 !

Published on Tuesday, 31 January 2017 19:35

The first 2 days have began with deeply emotional and informative testimonies from survivors and the most vulnerable women and girls, followed by a precise assessment of the realities of prostitution and sexual exploitation in the SAARC region. Today, the World Congress against sexual exploitation gathered representatives of trade unions, parliamentarians and institutions officials, youth and students movements, and actors of the new technologies sector.

Sexual exploitation is not work !

The DAY 3 of the #LastGirlFirst World Congress opened with the presentation of representatives of worldwide trade unions standing together against commercial sexual exploitation. They reaffirmed their position against the ultra-liberal and false concept of “sex work”. For Sabine Reynosa, member of the women’s committee of Confédération générale du travail (France), “prostitution, which is a complete subordination, is not allowed !”

Law is the key !

Parliamentarians and institutions officials from EU, UK, France, India, Pakistan, Sweden, presented the legislative situation in their respective countries and reminded us the absolute necessity to implement abolitionist laws worldwide.

Catherine Coutelle, MP, chair of women’s rights delegation from France presented the new France’s Law against the system of prostitution and its 4 goals : to protect and support victims with new rights and exit options; to better prosecute and punish pimps and traffickers; to hold buyers accountable by criminalising the purchase of sex acts; to raise awareness among the public and to educate the youth about equality and dignity.

The new generation of abolitionists leaders is ready to make the change !

As one of the most vulnerable groups and the first target of sex industry, young people are more mobilised than ever. They see themselves as warriors, as said Raphaëlle Rémy-Leleu, spokesperson of Osez le féminisme (France).

Speakers from India, France, Sweden, Spain, Canada, and Lebanon passionately argued their points of view on their conception of equality and sexuality that is not compatible with women’s subordination to male privileges, economic power and domination.

The young activist Alejandra Torres representing the Scelles Foundation has stressed the need for a strong awareness focusing on young people because of the drastic lack of information.

New technologies are part of the solution !

Internet has given a new dimension to trafficking for sexual exploitation and prostitution, offering unprecedented advantages to traffickers. But new technologies may also help find efficient solutions to counter cyber exploitation and provide direct and efficient help to victims.

Claire Quidet, vice-president of CAP International (France) presented ‘Girls of Paradise’ from Mouvement du Nid, a fake website of escort girls launched in 2016 to make sex-buyers aware of the extreme violence of prostitution.

The #LastGirlFirst World Congress is organized by the Coalition for the Abolition of Prostitution (Cap International) and Apne Aap Women Worldwide.