Mr. St-Pierre-Plamondon,
On December 10, 2024 – International Human Rights Day, we congratulate you for tabling your joint motion with MPs from other political parties calling on the government to stop all public funding of organizations that promote forms of sexual exploitation of minors.
We are particularly pleased that it was unanimously adopted on December 4 by the Quebec National Assembly. Indeed, the Réseau féministe québécois notes that more and more feminist and pro lgbtq+ organizations are militating in favor of legalizing pimps and clients of prostitution. The concept of “sex work” as a job like any other is gaining ground in the Quebec media, and these activist circles are claiming that the Canadian abolitionist model is dangerous for prostituted women. Yet last July, the Report of the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women and Girls, its Causes and Consequences, Reem Alsalem, stated that, on the contrary, the abolitionist model is the one that most protects women and girls.
As far as the application of the motion is concerned, we feel it's important to clean up subsidies to NPOs that promote the sexual exploitation of minors and adults alike, such as Piamp (Pour les jeunes qui échangent des services sexuels) with its Sugaring guide, Stella Montréal (Stella, l'amie de mamie) with their indoctrination workshops for students, etc. It's high time prostitution was tackled with a rights-based approach, and by rigorously applying the legislative provisions that criminalize clients in Quebec.We invite you to ask the Auditor General of Quebec, Ms. Guylaine Leclerc, to conduct a special investigation of all government departments and Crown corporations, including the discretionary budgets of MPs and ministers, to ensure that organizations promoting prostitution comply with P34. 1 - Youth Protection Act and the Canadian Criminal Code (R.S.C. 1985, c. C-46), which criminalizes the purchase of sexual services by minors (section 286.1(2)) and the purchase of sexual services (section 286.1(1)) in Canada. Unallocated sums could increase funding for the support programs for women wishing to leave prostitution run by the Concertation des luttes contre l'exploitation sexuelle (CLES) and La Maison de Marthe, which welcome many women and girls who find themselves in extremely precarious situations, often due to socio-economic factors, violence or trauma. They need ongoing support to reintegrate safely into society. This includes access to shelters, mental health services, vocational training and legal support. Funding these programs is an essential investment in protecting the rights and well-being of women and girls.
In addition, we would like to meet with the co-spokesperson responsible for the status of women, Ms. Méganne Perry Mélançon, to discuss with her all the actions the Parti Québécois could take to curb the sexual exploitation of citizens, both minors and adults. We need to team up to counter the public funding of pro-sex organizations that are completely under the influence of the sex industry, and that stand in the way of achieving equality for all Quebec women.
