Le Lézard
Subjects: WOM, MAT, DEI

Public evening for the defense of the right to not be prostituted for a living


MONTREAL, Oct. 5, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ - La Concertation des luttes contre l'exploitation sexuelle (CLES) is organizing a public event at the Écomusée du fier monde, in honor of the international day of no-prostitution. During the evening, there will be a round table, booths from organizations that work with girls and women who are victims of sexual violence, an exhibition and the launch of a research report on the impact of prostitution on marginalized women and girls around the world.

Special guests from outside of the province will be in attendance:

Héma Sibi the coordinator of the Last Girl First research report worked at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. She is a lawyer specializing in human rights and a member of CAP International. Ms. Sibi traveled from France to Quebec to come to the Écomusée in person to present the results of research on prostitution at the intersection of sex, race, and class-based oppression.

April Eve Wiberg from Edmonton will be speaking at the roundtable on October 6th. Ms. Wiberg is an Indigenous survivor of sexual exploitation and founder of SSBAM, (Stolen Sisters and Brothers Movement), a grassroots movement to raise awareness about the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous people.

This event takes place while, in Ontario, the law criminalizing the purchase of sexual acts is being challenged in court. Jennie-Laure Sully, community organizer at the CLES, says this law needs to be maintained and better enforced. According to Ms. Sully: "Those who challenge the law in Ontario seek to protect the profits of the violent sex industry. What we must instead defend is the right not to be prostituted for a living. For Indigenous, racialized, poor or marginalized women, it is even a question of survival."

Feminists and organizations fighting against sexual exploitation have joined the CLES to make their views heard in favor of the law criminalizing the purchase of sexual acts. During the day of October 5, the CLES will broadcast messages and videos to this effect on its Facebook page. Admission to the evening of October 6 is open to everyone. However, places are limited and registration is required to obtain a free admission ticket.

SOURCE Concertation des luttes contre l'exploitation sexuelle



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