A few well known words for us Swedes are “Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité”. These words are often associated with the French Revolution and stands for Freedom, Equality and Brotherhood.
When it comes to equality the reality does not look as bright as one would expect in a country holding such a motto. According to the United Nation’s The Gender Inequality Index from 2012, France only ranks 20 in the world. This is why we in Regards de femmes, partners to Real Stars, are working to ensure a change by promoting girls’ right to education and fighting the violence against women. Consequently, the fight against prostitution plays a crucial role in our work.
All kind of sex trafficking are incompatible with the demand that the human body is not someone’s property. By legalizing prostitution the consumption of sex is legitimized. A customer is buying a product and the human body is thereby transformed into sexual property. No consideration is taken to the precarious situation the prostitutes are in nor their right to decide over their own body.
With this in mind, we at Regards de femmes suggest that France follow the Swedish example to criminalize the buying of sex and thereby shift the blame from the prostitutes to the consumers. Finally, we stress the importance to inform about the reality behind prostitution and provide with alternatives for the persons who wish to leave this life behind them.
Minna for Regards de femmes