Press Release March 11, 2011

For Immediate Release

(Vancouver) Today, in the Ontario Court of Appeal, a pan Canadian coalition of seven women’s groups, seeking equality as guaranteed in the Constitution, will intervene in the Bedford case. The coalition using the comprehensive, experience and expertise of its members has committed to an alternative. Together they argue an alternative both to the prostitution laws that criminalize the poorest and most disadvantaged women while rejecting the proposal to legitimate pimps, johns and bawdy house owners at the cost of women’s constitutional rights to equality.

The coalition claims that Canada has in the Constitution, an obligation to protect the equality of women and should therefore decriminalize those who are channeled to prostitution including by their sex, poverty and race; that is by their disadvantage.

“Aboriginal women are over represented and victimized in the sex industry, which testifies to the link between racism and misogyny in prostitution,” says Jeannette Corbiere Lavell, President of the Native Women’s Association of Canada. On the other hand she says, “Decriminalizing the industry will only expand the illegal and legal trade of buying and selling women.” It would make life worse for the most disadvantaged women.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday, March 18 –20, 2011

UQAM, Amphitheatre of the Pavillon Sherbrooke at 200, Sherbrooke St. W., Montréal

Place-des-arts Metro Station

Listen to women in prostitution and act together to fight exploitation. This has been the rallying cry of the Concertation des luttes contre l’exploitation sexuelle (CLES) since its creation. After five years of work developing educational materials and over three years’ active presence on the ground, CLES intends to put commercial sexual exploitation and its impact on the movement to end violence against women on the agenda.

CLES urges you to join us on March 18-20, 2011, when the sex industry will be in the prisoner's dock at the PEOPLE'S TRIBUNAL ON COMMERCIAL SEXUAL EXPLOITATION—a first in Quebec, and possibly the world!