RealStars is looking back at a year full of action where we take many challenges in society. We give impression in schools, among companies, and on EU – level. We are taking new efforts 2017 in order to get more people to join us for a Europé free from trafficking.
2016, a year with overtrow and a great victory
A great victory for human rights during 2016 was that France voted for a law against sexual purchases. It’s in our favour. Those who are critical can now see a big contry like France defying the deeply rooted values about prostitution as something natrual and a free choice for women. This law gives hope to all of us and especially for organizations like ours around Europe, working for equality. RealStars are happy that we earned continuing trust and again got elected in EU:s platform for civil society against human trafficking who is led by EU: anti – trafficking co-ordinator Myria Vassiliado. In Brussel we consult organisations for the EU – commissions work according to the trafficking – directive for member contries. RealStars have a important swedish voice in the discussions to kill the myths about swedish prostitution law and to work against the demand.
At the same time Europe faces major challenges today and especially the immigrant crisis has created even more vulnerability for thousands
of people that puts them at risk o be used in sexual abuse and recruited by people in the trafficking market, Another reason for worries, where Europe hasn’t been a safe place for under – aged people on their own and especially for poor refugee women without documents,
is the situation in temporary living places where women are exposed to harassment and sexual assult. Some of these women are already
suffering from PTSD, since before because of diffrent kinds of sexual victimization. The society must act now to protect the vulnerables and
better identify victims of human trafficking.
Sweden must live up to being a leading country
In May, the swedish goverment added an ambassador against human trafficking which is a welcome investment that continiues the earlier
international work to spread the intentions about the law against prostitution. A result of that is that more attention is drawn
towards Sweden’s work. Since Sweden has a negative development with few convictions within human trafficking and obvious faults in the
work against prostitution, this attention can have negative consequences for Sweden’s trustworthyness in this work. A dilemma is the few adaptations of human trafficking crimes in swedish courts. This is because of lack of knowledge but also because of a misunderstanding. Judges doesn’t update on the subtile methods of control these criminal organizations use today, but instead expect the victim to prove why they didn’t try to escape. The misunderstanding is unreasonable demands in that the whole chain of crimes shall have been compleated in order to convict the people responsible. There is a lot to do here, especially to improve the work against the demand for prostitution and to really apply the law against prostitution.
RealStars goes to the bottom and prevents
RealStars has had a carrying work 2016 throught our stubborn work in schools where we recruited 10 000 young people for Fair Sex against
trafficking. During 2016 we worked more closley in fewer schools but now also with their teachers and students in order to create Fair Sex
schools and to put an end to sexual harassments. Fair Sex Online, we call the part of the project where we prevent sexual abuse and empower values for Fair Sex online and different social media platforms.
What’s new during 2017 is that we turn to new arrivals with our Fair Sex workshops and lectures and share our values amongst new groups
that arrives to Sweden. We discuss our law against prostitution, why it’s neccessary and we tell about our other work where we discuss
norms, equality and Fair Sex.
Regarding the work to improve companies engagement against prostitution, 2016 has been an intense year. Hotels Against Trafficking is growing with more members and is working as a platform for hotels that prevents and acts against prostitution and trafficking. During a couple of years we have educated over 200 representatives from hotel and visitation industry and during 2016 we have had a cooperation with the county administrative board to spread their education film about prostitution and trafficking for hotel and taxi.
Campain against sexual purchase during buisness trip
In regard of buisness against trafficking, both big and small companies can see that, that is meaningful to cooperate with us – from becoming a friend company too taking our support in order to put trafficking issues on the agenda. RealStars is during 2017 starting a
campain in order to get more companies to introduce a policy about sexual purchases during buisness trip. When we ask companies about it, they think that a policy like that should of course exist. Now it’s time to take action and introduce this policy.
Right now we’re even planning the activities for this year. We would like to have more people on the train for a Europé free from trafficking – this includes schools, companies, politicians and other society participants. During 2017 we will grow and step even more into the light. We have got support from Gotenburg City and the Swedish Inheritance Fund. The work we’re doing would not be possible without all the support from many companies and individuals who contribiutes with financial support, time and competens that is needed in our important work for human rights. Fair Sex should apply to everybody. The Swedish law on sexual purchase is here a headstone that challenges and gives power to drive the work forward.
If you have any ideas, please let us know! All support and all proposals about how we could have bigger impact on society are priceless. Thanks to all of you!
Malin Roux Johansson for Realstars
Director of department