[Brussels, 18 October 2015] To commemorate the EU Anti-Trafficking Day and bring a women’s rights perspective into the EU discussions and policies, the EWL produced three infographics based on its work and demands.
Sex trafficking is gendered and linked to prostitution:
98% of victims of sex trafficking are women and girls
Sex trafficking increases in countries where prostitution is legal
“Prostitution is the place where sex trafficking happens, it is the reason why sex trafficking happens” (Rachel Moran, sex trade survivor)
Prostitution fuels sex trafficking:
Sex trafficking is fueled by the demand for prostitution
The European market of sexual exploitation amounts to 2.6 billion euros
Article 18(1) of the EU Directive requires member states to take measures to reduce the demand that fosters all forms of exploitation
Sex buyers in the EU: demand is gendered:
It is part of the sexist culture of our societies
Between 7% and 40% of men buy sex in Europe
“She gave up her rights when she accepted my money” (a sex buyer)
The European Commission organized an event for the EU Anti-Trafficking Day, on 20 October 2015 in Brussels. #EUATD2015
Importantly for the EWL and all the women’s organisations we work with, in particular through the Brussels’ Call, several high level decision-makers mentioned the Nordic model as a policy response to sex trafficking and the normalization of violence against women through prostitution. MEPs Anna Hedh, Malin Bjork and Mary Honeyball, as well as the French representative Elisabeth Moiron-Braud, called on the EU and its member states to adopt the Nordic model which supports persons in prostitution (and don’t criminalise them), criminalises all forms of pimping and procuring as well as sex buyers, and proposes exit programmes as well as prevention programmes.
The EWL hopes that this message will be taken into account by the EC in its forthcoming new Strategy on trafficking in human beings.sex prostitution in the european unionprostitution fuels sex traffickingsex buyers in the eu
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Accessibility Statement
womenlobby.org
28 April 2025
Compliance status
We firmly believe that the internet should be available and accessible to anyone, and are committed to providing a website that is accessible to the widest possible audience,
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To fulfill this, we aim to adhere as strictly as possible to the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG 2.1) at the AA level.
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This website utilizes various technologies that are meant to make it as accessible as possible at all times. We utilize an accessibility interface that allows persons with specific
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Screen-reader and keyboard navigation
Our website implements the ARIA attributes (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) technique, alongside various different behavioral changes, to ensure blind users visiting with
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Disability profiles supported in our website
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ADHD Friendly Mode: this mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode: this mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
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Notes, comments, and feedback
Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs. There may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advancements. For any assistance, please reach out to
