EU countries should reduce the demand for prostitution by punishing the clients, not the prostitutes, says Parliament in a non-binding resolution passed on Wednesday.
It stresses that prostitution violates human dignity and human rights, whether it is forced or voluntary, and calls on member states to find exit strategies and alternative sources of income for women who want to leave prostitution.
K , who drafted the resolution. Most MEPsbelieve that one of the best ways to combat prostitution and trafficking of women and girls is the so-called Nordic model, followed in Sweden, Iceland and Norway. It views prostitution as a violation of human rights and as a form of violence against women and criminalises those who buy sex rather than those who sell it.
They call on EU countries to take the Nordic model as an example. Buying sexual services from prostitutes under the age of 21 should be a criminal offence in the entire EU, they add. EU countries should strengthen their policies to fight trafficking and better protect victims, say MEPs. The resolution calls on national authorities to set up exit schemes to support women who want to get out of prostitution and help them find other sources of income.
Better education and reducing the poverty that forces women and children into prostitution, are needed to prevent prostitution, MEPs add. They call on the Commission to table legislation before the end of the year to prevent gender-based violence in the EU, adding that gender-based violence should be considered a crime.
