Sexual Exploitation through the lens of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action at 30

On Thursday, March 20, 2025 at 1:15PM-2:30PM

RECORDING

March 20, 2025
1:15pm-2:30 pm
UN Headquarters, Conference Room A

RSVP to uneventrsvp@gmail.com by Friday, March 14 for those needing a UN pass.

SPONSOR

Permanent Mission of Paraguay to the United Nations

EVENT ORGANIZER

Center for Family and Human Rights (C-Fam)

CONTRIBUTING CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS

Center for Family and Human Rights (C-Fam)
CitizenGO
Asociación La familia Importa (AFI)

Introduction

This event will address critical issues related to the sexual exploitation of women, including a focus on pornography and prostitution, which are often overlooked as factors that contribute to the demand that fosters human trafficking. The aim of the event is to foster a global dialogue on effective public policies to prevent and eliminate the sexual exploitation of women and girls.

The 2021 Political Declaration on the Implementation of the United Nations Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons called on UN member states to eliminate “the demand that fosters trafficking in persons” (A/RES/76/7). Evidence from countries that have implemented demand reduction is clear. Reducing demand for prostitution and pornography is the best possible way to eliminate sexual exploitation. As, the Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences, Reem Alsalem, put it recently, “prostitution is intrinsically linked to different forms of violence against women and girls and constitutes a form of violence in and of itself” and “pornography is understood to be filmed prostitution” (A/HRC/56/48, OP3).

Event Objectives

  • Raise awareness about sexual exploitation.
  • Promote public policies to protect women from prostitution, pornography and other forms of sexual exploitation.
  • Analyze prostitution and pornography as factors that fuel demand for the sexual exploitation of women.
  • Discuss robust and effective legal frameworks to prevent and eliminate sexual exploitation, including to reduce demand for the sexual exploitation of women, including existing international law and commitments.
  • Propose multisectoral approaches to address the sexual exploitation of women, involving governments, international organizations, and civil society.
  • Encourage the exchange of best practices among Member States.

Opening Remarks

  • Representative from the Permanent Mission of Paraguay to the United Nations (TBD)

Invited Panelists

  • Ms. Reem Alsalem, United Nations Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls
  • Ms. Melissa Holland, CEO and Founder, Awaken, Marriage and Family Therapist
  • Ms. Christina Rangel, Survivor Leader, Director of Public Policy, Exodus Cry
  • Ms. Ligia Briz, Executive Director, Asociación La Familia Importa (AFI)
  • Ms. Natalia Cadena Romo, Content Director, Buscaminas

Moderator: Lisa Correnti, Executive Vice President, C-Fam

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