[7 May 2017, Press Release by EWL members in Malta] Whilst noting that prostitution in not illegal in Malta, the Malta Confederation of Women’s Organisations (MCWO) is against the regularisation of prostitution in Malta as a normal and legitimate business as this will increase the trafficking of women. Instead MCWO proposes that Malta adopts the Nordic Model which:
- Decriminalises all those who are prostituted and provides support services to help those who want to exit from this trade.
- Makes buying people for sex a criminal offence in order to reduce the demand that drives sex trafficking.
Prostitution and sexual exploitation are the root causes of human trafficking and women constitute 85% of victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation.
The MCWO together with the European Women’s Lobby and numerous feminist organisations world wide supports the Nordic Model which has been adopted in countries like Sweden, Norway, Iceland, France and Canada and which acknowledges that ending the demand for commercial sexual acts is key in the fight against pimping, procuring and trafficking.
The Confederation is an umbrella organisation that represents 12 local member organisations which collectively have around 24,000 female members. The MCWO is a full member of the Brussels based European Women’s Lobby.
