Action Alert: Lobby your MEP to prevent a motion to criminalise sex workers’ clients in Europe

Dear friends, a motion by MEP Mary Honeyball to criminalise sex workers’ clients is being voted on in Europe tomorrow Wednesday 26 February.

Lobby your MEP TODAY – Information from the International Committee for the Rights of Sex Workers in Europe here and model letter below:

“Dear (insert name of MEP here)

The 570 NGOs and civil society organisations and 70 researchers (listed in the attached documents) are urging to reject Ms Honeyball’s report on prostitution to be voted next Wednesday 26th of February.

The Honeyball report is promoting the “Swedish Model” of criminalising clients of sex workers, which has been evidenced as increasing the vulnerability of sex workers and has failed to reduce prostitution and trafficking as evidenced by the Swedish Police itself .

Our letter to MEPs has been signed by a huge numbers of organisations who work directly with sex workers everyday as well as anti-trafficking organisations such as La Strada International (click here for their statement against Ms Honeyball’s report). Many women’s organisations such as the German Women Council (50 women’s rights  organisations in Germany), Mama Cash and 6 other women’s funds, IPPF -European network and Transgender Europe (79 transgender organisations in Europe) as well as the majority of HIV and harm reduction organisations are also asking you to reject this report.

We also denounce the lack of evidence behind Ms Honeyball report. 70 researchers have signed a counter-report demonstrating the many flaws of the Honeyball report including use of data about coffee shops in Amsterdam instead of brothels for example. Such flawed methodology is unacceptable when drafting policies that will affect an already marginalised community.

I hope you will consider the evidence and will listen to the 560 NGOs and civil society organisations and 70 researchers asking you to reject the Honeyball report.”

For more information contact:
Luca Stevenson
Coordinator, International Committee on the Rights of Sex Workers in Europe – ICRSE
www.sexworkeurope.org