Prostitution survivors hold march for equality in Montreal

On Saturday in Montreal, survivors of prostitution from around a dozen countries gathered for a march in support of sex workers.

CLES (Concertation des luttes contre l’exploitation sexuelle), a collection of groups that work to fight the sexual exploitation of women, is organizing the march for the abolition of prostitution and “real equality between men and women.”

The march began at Place Emilie Gamelin.

Organizers said that more than 40 survivors of prostitution will call on the government and general public “to recognise prostitution as a violation of human dignity and a fundamental obstacle to equality between women and men.”

The event opened the fourth World Congress on the Abolition of Prostitution, which will run until Monday in Montreal.

The event will include panel discussions, workshops and other events.

“We have decided to call this congress ‘Equality in Action’ because the fight to abolish the prostitution system is a fight for equality,” said Coalition Abolition Prostitution (CAP) International president Cherie Jimenez. “As survivors of prostitution, we know very well that there will be no equality between women and men as long as men are able to use their privileges to buy access to women’s bodies.”

The CAP International includes a coalition of 35 organizations in 28 countries that provide support for victims of prostitution and trafficking for sexual exploitation.