Prostitution and trafficking in women: Croatian, French and German experiences

CROATIA / Zagreb 

3 December 2018, 3 pm – 6 pm

Kino Europa, Varšavska 3, Zagreb

Center for Women War Victims – ROSA from Zagreb and Women’s Association „IZVOR“ from Tenja, in partnership with the French Embassy to Croatia, are organizing a round table on the following issue: “Prostitution and trafficking in women: what are the key legislative approaches to prostitution and what are their impact in the society?”

Prostitution is a social issue where countries, even within Europe, have implemented extremely diverse legal arsenals. Moreover, in recent years, several European countries have significantly changed their approach toward prostitution. Germany, for instance, has chosen to legalize prostitution in January 2002, while France has passed a law that decriminalize persons in prostitution and criminalize buyers of sex in April 2016. A few years after these new legislation frameworks have been implemented, what lessons can be drawn in France and in Germany? How could this comparative analysis contribute to feed the debate in Croatia?

The aim of this event is to emphasize the reality of position of women in prostitution, by highlighting the relationship between prostitution and trafficking of women but also the consequences on the physical and psychological health of women in prostitution. For this purpose, a documentary film by Christian P. Stracke’s „Bordell Deutschland“ will be screened at the beginning of the discussion.

French Ambassador to Croatia Corinne Meunier and Ombudswomen for Gender Equality Višnja Ljubičić will give introductory speeches.

Agenda:

15h00 – 15h45: Projection of the documentary Bordell Deutschland – the billion-business with prostitution

15h45 – 16h10 : Welcoming speeches

Corinne Meunier, French ambassador to Croatia

Višnja Ljubičić, Ombusperson for gender equality in Croatia

16h10 – 17h20: Round table: “What are the key legislative approaches to prostitution and what are theirs impacts in the society?”

Moderated by Mrs Rada, Buric, Member of the Zagreb municipal council

Mme Laurence Rossignol, French Senator and former Minister in charge of Families, Childhood and Women’s Rights: What were the main steps that led France to adopt abolitionist legislation? What are the main disposition of the law adopted in April 2016 and their impact on the French society?

Mme Isabelle Collot, Director from the Bas-Rhine delegation of “The Movement du Nid” : What lessons can we drawn 2 years after the implementation of the abolition of prostitution in France? Did it make a difference for women in prostitution? What is still to be done?

Mme la Dre Ingeborg Kraus, German Psychologist: What is the situation in Germany, 17 years after liberalization of prostitution?

Mme Nela Pamuković from Centre for Women War Victims – ROSA and Mme Nikolina Zec from the NGO “IZVOR”, Tenja.  – Whatare the main challenges faced by Croatia regarding prostitution?

17h20 -18h00: Debate

Simultaneous translation into Croatian and French will be provided.

Biographies :

Laurence Rossignol

Laurence Rossignol has a longstanding commitment in the defense of equal rights for all.

Elected Senator of Oise in 2011, she was rapporteur of the special commission charged to examine the proposal of law penalizing the customers of prostitution and the author of an information report on the retirement of the women.

In 2014, she was appointed Secretary of State for Family, Children, the Elderly and Autonomy. She led the adoption of laws relating to the protection of children and the adaptation of society to aging;

Appointed in 2016 Minister of Families, Childhood and Women’s Rights, she is on the bench of the government during the adoption of the law abolishing prostitution in France and during the debate regarding the fight against the obstruction offence to abortion. She is at the origin of the #Sexismourgender campaign and resolutely leads the government’s plans to combat all violence against women and children.

Isabelle Collot 

Isabelle Collot is the director of the Mouvement du Nid delegation of the Bas-Rhin region in France. The mouvement du Nid is a French NGO working on the causes and consequences of prostitution. It is both an association on the ground and a movement of society.

Gathering 500 employees and volunteers in 26 regional delegations, the Mouvement du Nid supports prostitutes in their efforts to access justice, care and social security and in the different steps to leave prostitution. The association is also implementing preventive and awareness raising actions in schools, training among social workers and advocacy at national level.

Ingeborg Kraus

Ingeborg Kraus is a German psychotraumatologist specialized in trauma related to prostitution. She exercises in Karlsruhe where she works with persons in prostitution. Together with prominent German trauma experts and psychologists she launched in December 2014 a petition calling on the German government to repeal its decriminalization law as a preventive measure against sexual violence and trauma.

Mme Nela Pamuković

Mme Nikolina Zec