SAY 'NO' TO THE DEVASTATING EFFECTS OF FULLY DECRIMINALISING PROSTITUTION
Dear CFJ Supporter,
This week we again want to draw your urgent attention to the ongoing prostitution law reform process. The reality is, that fully decriminalising prostitution will have devastating consequences for marginalised people trapped in prostitution, but also on families, communities and businesses.
It’s naive to believe that fully decriminalising the entire system of prostitution will somehow eradicate all the abuse and exploitation – and associated harm and trauma – inherent in prostitution. The unavoidable and stark reality is that the abuse and harms continue unabated when prostitution is fully decriminalised, while the law turns a ‘blind eye’ to the exploitation and trauma inflicted on some of society’s most vulnerable members.
We need to ask ourselves: is this the kind of society we envision for South Africa? Surely not! That is why we need to take action to vindicate the human dignity of the sexually abused and exploited, and protect vulnerable and marginalised individuals, families and communities.
Stand with us for human dignity and against sexual exploitation by signing the Petition against the Full Decriminalisation of Prostitution.
Prostitution: inherently harmful and a human human rights violation
Watch this short video on why prostitution is not a real choice.
Most women and girls who enter the system of prostitution are essentially coerced by their dire socio-economic circumstances. This includes poverty, lack of education and inequality.
Stand with us and make your voice heard! Join us and say NO to legalised sexual exploitation, brothel-keeping and pimping in South Africa! We can’t do it without YOU!
Stand with us FOR HUMAN DIGNITY and AGAINST EXPLOITATION
Persons trapped in prostitution face a reality characterised by horrific abuse and exploitation that cannot be legislated away.
“As a poor black woman who was once trapped in prostitution, stripped of my human dignity, labelled and humiliated by our society, I plead with our government to restore our womanhood and not become a vehicle for promoting sexual exploitation, patriarchy, gender-based violence and gender inequality towards vulnerable women by decriminalising the system of prostitution and recognising it as work.” – Hildah Nompy Tlou (survivor of prostitution)
The heinous human rights violations and inherent harms of the exploitative system of prostitution require an urgent and just response from government and civil society:
Stop the demand for sexual services by keeping sex buying fully criminalised, and pro-actively and effectively prosecuting offenders.
Abolishing the system of prostitution by keeping the activities of pimps, brothels and others who profit or benefit from the prostitution of others, fully criminalised, and pro-actively and effectively prosecuting offenders.
Helping the vulnerable and marginalised to exit prostitution or never submit to it at all.
Your voice matters. Raise your voice with us by standing for human dignity and against exploitation by signing the Petition to keep the South African government from fully decriminalising prostitution.
There is only one solution to exploitation through prostitution: abolishing the system of prostitution, eradicating demand, and supporting the vulnerable and marginalised. Every signature is one step closer to eradicating sexual exploitation in South Africa. Every signature shows the government we will not stand for legalising abuse and exploitation, harm and trauma. Stand with us for human dignity and see South Africa flourish – free from all forms of sexual servitude and slavery.
We know that the harms inherent to the system of prostitution cannot be done away with without abolishing the system as a whole. Sign the petition to stand for human dignity and against sexual exploitation. Yours in Justice, Ryan and the CFJ team
