Objectives

The Special Rapporteur would like to receive input to better understand the relationship between prostitution and violence against women, to clarify terms, approaches and actions States should take in order to maintain the spirit of international human rights law and to effectively protect women and girls from all forms of violence.

Key questions and types of input/comments sought

The Special Rapporteur kindly seeks the support of States, international and regional human rights mechanisms, National Human Rights Institutions, civil society actors, UN agencies, regional human rights organizations, academics, victims and survivor organizations, and other stakeholders to respond to one or more of the following questions:

1. Provide examples of the hidden forms of prostitution, and explain to what extent they are recognized and dealt with as such?
2. Describe the profile of women and girls affected by prostitution in your country, and provide disaggregated data, where possible.
3. Describe the profile of those who solicit women in prostitution and whether such relations are regulated, and provide supporting data, where possible.
4. What forms of violence are prostituted women and girls subjected to (physical, psychological, sexual, economic, administrative, or other)?
5. Who is responsible for the perpetration of violence against women and girls in prostitution?
6. Describe the linkages, if any, between prostitution and the violation of the human rights of women and girls.
7. What links are there between pornography and/or other forms of sexual exploitation and prostitution?
8. How is the issue of consent dealt with? Is it possible to speak about meaningful consent for prostituted women and girls?
9. How effective have legislative frameworks and policies been in preventing and responding to violence against women and girls in prostitution?
10. What measures are in place to collect and analyse data at the national level with a view to better understanding the impact that prostitution has on the rights of women and girls?
11. What measures are in place to assist and support women and girls who wish to leave prostitution?
12. What are the obstacles faced by organizations and frontline service providers in their mission to support victims and survivors of prostitution?
13. What are some of the lessons learned about what works and what does not when it comes to stemming any negative human rights consequences from the prostitution of women and girls?
14. Are frontline organizations and survivors’ organisations sufficiently included in policymaking at the national and international level?
15. What recommendations do you have to prevent and end violence associated with the prostitution for women and girls?

Respondents may wish to answer some but not all these questions and provide supportive information focusing on either woman, girls, or both.

Type of submissions and how inputs will be used

The Special Rapporteur is particularly interested in hearing from organizations that facilitate the recovery of women and girls who have been prostituted; those that are advocating for the rights of women and girls who have been prostituted; as well as well as from survivors.

For minors who wish to send input, the express consent of one of their parents or a guardian will also be required.

Should the number of submissions remain manageable, they will be published on the mandate’s webpage, unless they are marked by their authors as confidential or if the expressed consent of victims has not been secured.