The ECLJ had the pleasure of welcoming the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls last week in Strasbourg, France.

The Special Rapporteur recently published a courageous report on prostitution, demonstrating that it amounts to human trafficking and destroying the fake idea that prostitution is a regular work, and that women should be free to legally be “sex-workers.”

She was in Strasbourg to meet with representatives and political groups of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), judges of the European Court of Human Rights, and diplomats of the Council of Europe. 

For the ECLJ, it is a great success because we could help her to meet with the very politicians who rejected or approved the motion for a resolution to liberalize prostitution across Europe that we told you about a few months ago. The rejection of that motion was a victory, and the UN Special Rapporteur could elaborate on the dangers of prostitution with the Council of Europe’s bodies and groups.

Of course, such a visit of that specific UN Special Rapporteur displeased many officials of the Council of Europe, especially the PACE President, who objected to a side-event with her. Even with her UN passport, she had difficulties entering the Palais of the Council of Europe... Nevertheless, she had all the meetings she booked and that did not prevent her from spreading the word: prostitution is not work.

She agreed to have an exclusive interview with us, and today we are pleased to share it with you.