As the year comes to a close, we at RealStars want to take a moment to reflect on and share some of the highlights from the past year. While our drive to create change and make the most of every resource often keeps us focused on the future, it’s just as important to pause and celebrate the progress we’ve made. In this post, we’d like to do just that—look back and appreciate the steps forward we’ve taken together.
2023 began on a high note for RealStars Stockholm, as we received funding from HM Queen Silvia’s foundation Care About the Children (CATCH) to implement a school project targeting upper secondary schools throughout the year. This grant, combined with support from the Social Welfare Board for our core operations and outreach work against Thai massage parlors, enabled us to hire a process manager at 80 percent capacity. In late January, Malin Säflund joined our team, and we are thrilled to have had her with us throughout the year. Thanks to her contributions, the school project continued successfully, allowing us to deliver 102 interventions across 33 upper secondary schools, reaching over 4,500 students.
At the end of January, we concluded our Växtkraft Thai inheritance project, a two-year initiative aimed at reducing exploitation in Thai massage parlors in Stockholm and Gothenburg. The event, held at Clarion Hotel Stockholm, was a meaningful and engaging afternoon and evening. We began by gathering professionals to share insights and experiences from the project. During this session, we also introduced the idea of forming a network to bring together more stakeholders in the critical work of combating prostitution and human trafficking in Sweden’s Thai massage parlors. Additionally, we heard from the police and Mikamottagningen, who shared their perspectives on this important issue. Later, the public was invited to an open mingle event at the hotel. Guests had the opportunity to meet representatives from parlors that had participated in the project, enjoy traditional Thai massage, and watch a performance of traditional Thai dance. The evening also featured talks by Joakim Medin and Jonas Trolle, who presented their books Thailandssvenskarna and Jakten på kapten Klänning respectively.
Although the ‘Växtkraft Thai’ project concluded in January, the work against exploitation in Thai massage parlors has continued throughout the year in Stockholm, supported by the Social Affairs Committee. Over the course of the year, we conducted 55 visits to parlors, sent emails to approximately 100 contacts, and ran several campaigns on social media. On International Women’s Day, March 8, RealStars Sweden brought together social actors in Gothenburg to initiate collaboration towards a zero-vision against sexual exploitation in the Thai massage industry. During the discussions, there was unanimous agreement on the need to strengthen preventive efforts against demand. In Stockholm, initial talks have also begun to establish a support network against exploitation in parlors, and we look forward to continuing these dialogues in 2024.
In May, we held our annual organizational meetings, providing an opportunity to connect with our members and discuss RealStars’ future direction. In Gothenburg, we gathered at Hotel Flora, where, in addition to the annual meeting, we heard from guest speaker Elly Arrow from Germany, who shared insights on the state of prostitution in her country. We also had the privilege of hearing from our Secretary General, Malin Roux Johansson, who spoke about two crucial EU directives negotiated during the year and how we can work to shut down digital brothels. In Stockholm, the annual meeting was held at Clarion Hotel Stockholm. The guest speakers included Hanna Sjöstedt, a conversation therapist at KAST in Stockholm; Delphine Cartier, a sex counselor and former board member of RealStars Stockholm; and Malin Säflund, the process manager for RealStars Stockholm.
In early September, after a brief summer break, RealStars hosted a panel discussion during Frihamnsdagarna in collaboration with the Salvation Army. The panel brought together politicians and key figures from Gothenburg to discuss how we can collectively work towards a zero-vision for human trafficking and prostitution. The conversation also focused on strategies to prioritize these critical issues within the region.
Throughout the year, RealStars Sweden dedicated significant resources to lobbying within the EU to promote the Swedish sex purchase law across member states. In September, these efforts finally paid off when the EU Parliament adopted a report and resolution on prostitution. The resolution asserts that buying sex should be illegal and that procuring must also be criminalized. The report calls on member states to implement sex purchase laws modeled after Sweden’s approach, which criminalizes demand rather than the victims. This represents an important milestone and a strong foundation for future dialogues on addressing prostitution as a form of men’s violence against women.
At the turn of September and October, it was once again time for the annual Gothenburg Book Fair, an event RealStars has participated in for several years. During the fair, we hosted an information table, our popular book lottery, and an author talk featuring Helena Björk, who discussed her book Socialt oacceptabelt (Eng. Socially Unacceptable). The fair provided a great opportunity to connect with both new and longstanding members while raising awareness about the rise in prostitution and human trafficking during large events like fairs.
In October, our Secretary General, Malin Roux Johansson, co-authored a debate article with prosecutor Thomas Ahlstrand, highlighting strategies to shut down so-called digital brothels. The article was published in Svenska Dagbladet on October 15.
October also marked the EU Anti-Trafficking Day. On this day, we called on hotels, real estate companies, and other businesses to strengthen their efforts against prostitution and human trafficking. We launched a digital campaign addressing exploitation in Thai massage parlors and engaged directly with the public, starting at Tyresö Gymnasium in Stockholm and later at Clarion Amaranten. We are delighted that so many hotels supported our Hotels Against Trafficking initiative in various ways. Some shared our message on social media, others posted notices in their establishments, and Clarion Post in Gothenburg had its employees wear our ‘Fair Fucking Sex’ t-shirts throughout the day.
In November, RealStars Stockholm, in collaboration with HM Queen Silvia’s foundation Care About the Children, hosted a gala to honor the school and students who had made the most creative and impactful contributions against sexual exploitation and in support of Fair Sex throughout the year. The event featured an art exhibition showcasing the students’ work, a panel discussion with representatives from both the education sector and civil society, and, of course, an award ceremony to celebrate the winners. The high school that won the 2023 award was Psykologigymnasiet—big congratulations to them!
Towards the end of the year, we focused on smaller initiatives, including information tables at Posthuset and Thon Partner Hotel Kungsbron during Giving Tuesday, a Christmas gift campaign on social media, and extensive reporting on the year’s activities and achievements.
As you’ve seen, we’ve had an intense and impactful year. We now look forward to 2024, as we continue striving for a world where sex is equal, and no human being can be bought.
Thank you for being with us!
