Bulgarian Gender Research Foundation - Projects page
an independent NGO promoting: social justice, gender equality and human rights through research, education, legislative changes, advocacy programs
an independent NGO promoting: social justice, gender equality and human rights through research, education, legislative changes, advocacy programs
The Challenge Project Is implemented with CATW http://www.catwinternational.org/
The CHALLENGE Project contests the increasing trend, especially in legislative proposals now being discussed in the “new Europe,” to separate prostitution and trafficking.
There is a particular need to conduct The CHALLENGE Project in Bulgaria and Romania. Both countries accede to the European Union in January, 2007 and are now confronting the same pressures to legalize the sex industry as other new accession countries in Europe. This proposal builds on a former CATW project, implemented in partnership with the European Women’s Lobby (EWL) in 13 countries in Europe, and jointly funded by G/TIP and the government of Sweden, that addressed gaps in current anti-trafficking programs and policies by addressing gender equality, the demand, and the links between trafficking and prostitution.
This project challenges the trend that prostitution is “sex work.” Some countries have legalized or decriminalized pimps and brothels, set up “tolerance zones,” and are living off the earnings of women in prostitution by levying taxes on the women and the sex industry. They claim that State control of prostitution protects women and reduces trafficking. But this is not true. State-sponsored prostitution creates a safe haven for traffickers and pimps, and does nothing to lessen the routine abuse, violence and degradation experienced by women in prostitution. It would be unfortunate if Bulgaria goes down this road and changes to desiring tourist destination, not because of its nature, hospitality and history, but because of providing its wives, daughters and sons on a cheapest price The Project started in May 2007 under coordination of the Bulgarian Gender Research Foundation (BGRF) and the Institute for Democracy, Stability and Security in Southeast Europe (IDSSee).
More about the Project see at the specially designed web-site: antitrafficking.bgrf.org
15 April 2008