Sex worker rights organizations and advocates recently addressed the United Nations office in Geneva, providing input on a controversial report by the Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls. The report, presented to the Human Rights Council, has been criticized for its broad claims about sex work and adult content, and for endorsing various forms of criminalization.

UN Report Draws Criticism from Advocates

Earlier this week, several sex worker rights organizations and advocates participated in an interactive dialogue with Special Rapporteur Reem Alsalem in Geneva. The discussion focused on Alsalem's recent report to the Human Rights Council, which has been widely criticized for its approach to sex work and adult content.

The report has been described as conflating trafficking with prostitution and pornography, and prostitution with pornography itself. It also referred to the term "sex work," coined in 1979 by Carol Leigh, as a euphemism. Sabra Boyd of Sex Workers and Survivors United provided input regarding the report.

Other organizations and individuals who weighed in against the report included Amnesty International, the EU representative, the Sisonke National Sex Workers Movement, Kenya Sex Workers Alliance, European Sex Workers’ Rights Alliance, Sexual Rights Initiative, and the World Health Organization. Delegates from the Netherlands stated that "viewing sex workers as more than mere victims is essential," and requested more details on how sex workers were engaged during the report's creation.

Kholi Buthelezi of the Sisonke National Sex Workers Right Movement commented on a panel, stating, "Saying we are ‘commodities of men’ is hurtful. It confuses trafficking with sex work and uses the code of feminist women and girls. We need the feminist movement to come on board. Our lives continue to be in danger." Jessica Stoya, who attended the meeting alongside Sinnamon Love, remarked, "Hearing from members of the global sex worker community clarified what we all have in common, a need for dignity and rights." Stoya added, "We can only hope the U.N. officials took these perspectives into account."

Human Rights Watch (HRW) also submitted input for the upcoming report on prostitution and violence against women and girls, which will be presented to the UN Human Rights Council at its 56th session in June 2024. HRW has conducted research on sex work globally, including in Cambodia, China, Greece, South Africa, Spain, Tanzania, and the United States. This research involved consultations with sex workers, sex worker rights defenders, anti-trafficking organizations, and other experts, shaping HRW's policy on sex work, trafficking for sexual exploitation, and consent.

HRW's investigations over more than a decade in various countries indicate that criminalization, including partial criminalization, increases violence, discrimination, and sexual assault, without demonstrably eradicating trafficking. HRW's submission focuses on themes such as accuracy and respect in discussing sex work and trafficking, the causal relationship between violence against women and criminalization, how stigmatizing language normalizes violence, legislative frameworks, obstacles faced by organizations, and the ability of sex workers to give and withdraw consent.

Contrasting Views on UN Recommendations

In a separate development, an open letter dated March 4, 2026, signed by over 1,300 women’s and human rights advocates, including sex trade survivors from more than 40 countries, expressed outrage over recommendations made by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW Committee) to the Netherlands. The letter condemned the CEDAW Committee’s report, "Concluding observations on the seventh periodic report of the Kingdom of the Netherlands," for advising the Dutch government to expand and strengthen its sex trade.

The CEDAW Committee's report recommended eliminating restrictions on brothels, which were decriminalized in 2000, and lifting the ban on "home-based sex work." The signatories of the open letter argued that these recommendations would empower exploiters and increase sexual exploitation. The letter also highlighted the Committee's characterization of sex trafficked girls as "minor sex workers," which the signatories stated contravenes international laws and fails to recognize the links between sex trafficking, the sex trade, and the demand for prostitution.

The signatories of the open letter are asking the CEDAW Committee to modify the report by removing references to "sex work," "minor sex workers," "forced prostitution," and any recommendations that encourage the Netherlands to legally promote prostitution.

Ongoing Debates and Related Incidents

The discussions at the UN and the open letter regarding the CEDAW Committee's report reflect ongoing debates surrounding sex work and related policies. These debates extend to various contexts, as seen in recent news from Scotland and the United States.

In Scotland, a leading sex worker advocacy group in the U.K. reported on October 28, 2024, that the Scottish government instructed local authorities to partner with Azalea, a Christian charity led by an anti-porn activist who has stated that sex workers are “possessed by demons.”

In the United States, the Universities of Wisconsin reportedly spent over $130,000 investigating communications professor and former Chancellor Joe Gow for creating and appearing in adult content. On September 27, 2024, the Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents fired Gow, stripping him of tenure. Gow commented that "The only people who've been hurt by this are my wife and me."

Key Facts

  • Sex worker rights advocates addressed the UN office in Geneva regarding a report by Special Rapporteur Reem Alsalem.
  • The report has been criticized for conflating trafficking with prostitution and pornography, and for its use of language.
  • Organizations like Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the Sisonke National Sex Workers Movement provided input.
  • An open letter signed by over 1,300 advocates condemned a separate UN CEDAW Committee report on the Netherlands.
  • The CEDAW Committee's report recommended expanding the sex trade in the Netherlands and referred to sex trafficked girls as "minor sex workers."
  • Human Rights Watch research indicates criminalization of sex work increases violence and discrimination without eradicating trafficking.