MONA is an anti-trafficking organization which believes that all prostitutes are victims. This is why it talks about “victims of trafficking and prostitution” together and claims that “any act of prostitution is rape”. In 2009 this organization has already held two out of three planed meetings with Hungarian NGOs and officials to present the results of a survey done in 7 European countries. The first of the two meetings was organized for NGO representatives. The second meeting was held separately for decision-makers.
MONA is an anti-trafficking organization which believes that all prostitutes are victims. This is why it talks about “victims of trafficking and prostitution” together and claims that “any act of prostitution is rape”. In 2009 this organization has already held two out of three planed meetings with Hungarian NGOs and officials to present the results of a survey done in 7 European countries. The first of the two meetings was organized for NGO representatives. The second meeting was held separately for decision-makers. The participants were also expected to discuss possible ways of cooperation in addressing trafficking and helping the “victims of trafficking and prostitution” and introduction of end-demand legislation. The third meeting is supposed to bring the results of the two previous meeting together.
The organizers of the first meeting, called “Development of inter-disciplinary cooperation in Hungary to support the fight against trafficking in women, prostitution and violence against women”, stated that they are aiming at looking at various experiences of working with “victims of trafficking and prostitution”. Indeed, they invited a variety of 15 organizations starting from a Baptist shelter, organization working on Roma issues, a health provision center for drug users, a national crisis and information hotline, IOM, representatives from an AIDS center and the anti-trafficking department of national police. HCLU/TASZ was also invited to the meeting as a human rights organization hosting an international Network of SWAN. No local sex workers were included into the participants list.
It was mentioned several times by the organizers at the meeting that there is a need to study the reasons women turn to prostitution. Yet, none of 10 000 prostitutes working in Hungary were asked to join the meeting. the organization representing interests of prostitutes in Hungary (MPEE) was not invited either. As the organizers pointed out, “their views on prostitution differed too much”.
Nevertheless, SWAN/HCLU project coordinator, Aliya Rakhmetova, joined the meeting to give a short presentation of SWAN’s disapproval of end-demand legislation and to stress that there should not be any confusion between provision of sex services and exploitation/trafficking. In addition, SWAN representative expressed concern that the group which is most affected by proposed legislation was not invited to the discussion. To make the prostitutes’ voices heard, a letter from MPEE was distributed to the participants at the meeting.
Besides introducing the idea to end the demand on prostitution, another item on the agenda of the fist meeting was a presentation of ARETUSA/ENATW report on “Implementing gender equality principles to combat trafficking and to prevent sexual exploitation of women and children” which was based on the interviews with politicians, health specialists, police and state officials in 7 European countries. (Read review of the report here.)
Due to the time constrains, the participants only had a chance to listen to presentation of the survey and to represent their organizations, their experience and concerns either about victims of domestic violence, Roma prostitutes, child sexual exploitation or victims of trafficking. Almost no time was left for discussion.
Later, SWAN/HCLU contacted MONA to find out about the participants, time and place of the next meeting, organized for the decision-makers. Unfortunately, the organizers refused to provide the information, explaining that the list of participants and the venue had not been finalized and that the results of that meeting would be available on MONA’s website.
To read SWAN position on introducing Swedish end-demand legislation in Hungary click here.
To read a review of ARETUSA/ENATW report on “Implementing gender equality principles to combat trafficking and to prevent sexual exploitation of women and children” survey click here.
To watch an interview with a Swedish sex worker about end-demand legislation in Sweden click here.