Madam Special Rapporteur,
On this Human Rights Day, I would like to thank you for your work to counter the violence to which women and girls caught up in prostitution are subjected. As President of the Quebec Feminist Network, based in Canada, I read with great interest your report entitled Prostitution and violence against women and girls, A/HRC/56/48.
My fellow activists and I have noted the intellectual rigor you have brought to this enormous task. You have clearly defined the terminology used in the field of sexual exploitation of women and children. You have addressed both prostitution and pornography, both of which we consider to be extremely closely linked. Findings 10 to 16 on the links between violence and prostitution speak for themselves. Chapter C. Consequences for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls has enabled us to learn about all the violence against people of our biological sex. Next, you didn't forget to address pornography generated by artificial intelligence, which has been gaining momentum in Canada and around the world since 2017. We see it as a new sexual weapon against women and children. Pornography has been promoting sexist, racist and social stereotypes since the 1950s. Then, in your findings 27 to 33, you provide a very good update on legal models and general state policies on prostitution. Our Quebec Feminist Network supports the abolitionist approach. We recently called on Canadian parliamentarians to stop government funding of sex industry supporters and criminal networks. We read with relish chapter
VII. International human rights standards, findings 34 to 51. We will be drawing heavily on this as an argument to the House of Commons and the Senate, as this is an aspect that was neglected when the Report of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights entitled Risk Prevention in the Canadian Sex Industry: Review of the Protection of Victims of Exploitation and Communities Act, published in 2022, was drafted. Finally, your findings and recommendations 52 to 57 will guide our 2025-2026 work plan.
We congratulate you, Madam Special Rapporteur, on the production of this report, which is an essential light for celebrating the Winter Solstice.
Alexandra Houle
President
