Transcript Slide 1
Introduction to GS Position Papers on Power Point format: The priorities for ministry and mission of the 29th Congregational Chapter of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd (2009) were expanded in 2012 into six position Papers using the topics of Trafficking / Migration / Economic Justice / Prostitution / Girl-child / Ecology. The Position Papers were prepared by the Good Shepherd International Justice Peace Office (GSIJPO) and approved by the CGS Congregational Leadership Team (CLT). The text of the Position Papers can be found on the International website at: < http://www.buonpastoreint.org/jp-en/recursos/good-shepherd-congregational-material-> in French: <http://www.buonpastoreint.org/jp-fr/resources/matriel-de-la-congrgation-du-bon-pasteur-> in Spanish: <http://www.buonpastoreint.org/jp-es/recursos/good-shepherd-congregational-material-> This text has been put into Power Point Format (in English) as a flexible way of sharing with all GS People. This Power Point format is a template that you can take and adapt, re-do, and use for your context and needs. You can change images to better express your context; you can simplify language if it helps. You can be creative and use the Position Papers in many ways: Discussion of GS mission in light of today’s realties Review of local realities and priorities: A foundation for chapter renewal and ministerial planning A basis for setting province priorities The ground work for Unit formation Direction for GS ministry development and evaluation Orientation for co-workers and partners in ministry A starting point for local mission and ministry statements, policies & practices Guidelines for advocacy actions A framework for social analysis Etcetera… This power point includes 2 sections 1. slides # 3 to # 20 A Power Point version of the GS Position Paper on Prostitution 2. slides # 22 to # 41 Some further links, Issues & images of Prostitution You can change and adapt this for appropriate use and training on your local level. RESOURCE TOOL FOLLOWING the GOOD SHEPHERD CONGREGATIONAL CHAPTER of 2009 Good Shepherd Position Paper Prostitution of Women and Girls on the “Inspired by the creative audacity of St. Mary Euphrasia, her prophetic and radical response to the needs of her time…” Prepared by the Int JP Office, Approved by the CLT, 2011 The 25th Chapter, 1985 “urged new responses in relation to Social Justice…” and declared that justice is integral to our mission of reconciliation… “You are called to be so many Good Shepherds” SME Good Shepherd Position on the Prostitution of women and girls GS Direction, stated at the 29th Congregational Chapter, July 2009, excerpt: We commit ourselves... to respond to the anguish of the world calling us to the margins… by taking courageous steps to use our international resources effectively, to network and … by working zealously with women and children… The prostitution of women and girls a chronic form of gender violence that has been structurally embedded in societies over the centuries. Good Shepherd’s position echoes the UN 1949 Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others. “…prostitution is incompatible with the dignity and worth of the human person, and endangers the welfare of the individual, the family and the community…” Prostitution is, by its nature, exploitative and is never part of a global decent work agenda. The system of prostitution of women and girls is based in socio/cultural perceptions and attitudes about the relationships between men and women. It is rooted in economic systems, now structured in a globalized economy that has seen rapid growth of women in extreme poverty. It is supported by political structures and systems that devalue and exclude women and do not evaluate gender outcomes. (GS NGO statement to CSW of the UN, 2005) Good Shepherd, seeks to analyze root causes and systemic links to the phenomena of trafficking. The root causes of prostitution are tied to -poverty, -patriarchy, -male privilege, -extreme wealth, -racist attitudes, -militarization, and the -demand by men for women to be available for sexual purchase. The expansion of trafficking as a global criminal industry has increased the demand for girls and women to be used as objects in prostitution. Good Shepherd expresses solidarity with those who are vulnerable to being the objects of prostitution. We seek to - listen to experiences - develop holistic programs - accompany personal journeys. We support women and girls in -healing, -self-sufficiency through employable skills, -economic opportunities, -personal growth opportunities, -reconciliation with often estranged families, and we seek to be -active in processes of social change. Good Shepherd, locally and internationally, seeks to increase effective advocacy for governmental and UN policies, programs, and legislation, based in human rights, that will end the prostitution of women by addressing gender discrimination, violence against women, and the dynamics of the demand for the prostitution of women. We urge governments to exhibit the political will to develop effective tools to educate and empower women and to ensure the substantive equality of women, as called for by the UN CEDAW. Good Shepherd stands with all those persons of good will who condemn the prostitution of the human person and who work to eradicate discrimination against women. It is critical that GS: -Identify that the prostitution of women and girls is a form of gender violence, unmasking the lie that it can be dignified as a profession or an acceptable form of work. It is critical that GS: -Develop programs, with the participation of those who have been prostituted, that provide holistic social support and empowerment, skills training, and education about human rights. Working for economic empowerment is a foundational approach. It is critical that GS: - Call for the prosecution of those who purchase sexual acts from women and girls - Condemn state sponsorship of this form of violence by rejecting the legalization of prostitution -Work for policies and practices that do not criminalize nor punish women and girls who are prostituted It is critical that GS: -Contribute to policy formation through participation at regional and international conferences, - articulate our position, - participate in campaigns - demonstrate leadership in -call for the exposition of prostitution as a form of gender violence. It is critical that GS: -Expand the capacity for service and advocacy through use of effective networks and initiatives, in cooperation with the NGO work of the GSIJPO. It is critical that GS: -Support international Human Rights tools, including the UN 1949 Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others and The Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children (Palermo Protocol) of the Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. National reporting to UN CEDAW and the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocol the Sale of Children is an effective way to amplify Good Shepherd voice. Winifred Doherty , the GS NGO representative to ECOSOC of the UN in New York collaborates closely with the Coalition Against Trafficking and other NGOs for Advocacy and Policy work on the issue of the prostitution of women and girls . Winifred Doherty Contact: [email protected] GS has an NGO representative, part time, at the UN in Vienna on issues related to trafficking in persons. Marie Hélène HALLIGON Email: [email protected] Blog: http://marieheleneh.wordpress.com This power point was prepared November 2012 For information or questions, contact: Clare Nolan, GSIJP Training Facilitator 211 East 43rd St rm 302 New York, NY 10017 Email: [email protected] Phone: 212 599 2711 SKYPE: clarenolan62 http://www.buonpastoreint.org/jp-en Sexual Entrepreneurs: - Traffickers - Suppliers - Pimps Supply: Bodies of women and children Sex Trafficking Prostitution Legalized State Sex Economy - Safe zones Purchasers/ Demand Buyers of adult / child sex in the market place Promote Gender Equality Eradicate Poverty Stop the Demand Combat Sex Trafficking & Prostitution Support Women’s Human Rights Gender Equality Substantive Equality (see CEDAW) between men and women, non-discrimination on the basis of sex, are fundamental. Understand barriers and cultural situation of women in supply countries of sex trafficking Know the economic conditions of women in poverty – education &training opportunities, effects of global economy, rural/urban factors, social service access Poverty Poverty creates and sustains sexual exploitation Recruiters and traffickers lure mainly poor and unsuspecting women and girls into exploitative positions, particularly prostitution A country’s economic and political crisis produces cheap labor – men often describe how little they pay for sex. Demand Male demand for women and girls for sexual use is a root cause of sex trafficking Men have unlimited and socially accepted access: brothels, strip clubs, massage parlors, escort agencies, and street corners, stag parties, corporate “entertainment”, etc Sex tourism Racism supports seeking women and girls of different countries, cultures and backgrounds. Nordic countries (Sweden, Norway, Iceland) have a solution: purchasing or attempting to purchase sex is a criminal offence, punishable by fines and/or imprisonment. Women’s Human Rights Women’s rights are Human Rights (UDHR, CEDAW, CRC etc) Prostitution – violates human rights it actually protects the purchasers, pimps and agents. Traffickers can use work permits to bring foreign women into the prostitution, masking the fact that the women have been trafficked, coaching them, under duress, to be “migrant sex workers” Choice & Consent Issues that require much analysis Professionalism Prostitution has no characteristics of a profession Prosecution Protection Criminalization of purchasers, pimps, syndicates Shelter / Safe Places/ Holistic Social Services / Repatriation/ Support of the law Prevention Partnership Education & Awareness Legal Protection – (social, criminal justice and educational Polices) Develop best practices and Strategies/ Networks and Pooling of resources “We the survivors of prostitution and trafficking... declare that prostitution is violence against women. Women in prostitution do not wake up one day and 'choose' to be prostitutes. It is chosen for us by poverty, past sexual abuse, the pimps who take advantage of our vulnerabilities, and the men who buy us for the sex of prostitution.” Manifesto, Joint CATW - EWL Press Conference, 2006 Some links: UN 1949 Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/trafficpersons.htm UN CEDAW: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cedaw/ Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocol the Sale of Children: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/crc.htm http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/crc-sale.htm The Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children (Palermo Protocol) of the Convention against Transnational Organized Crime: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/protocoltraffic.htm http://www.prostitutionresearch.com/ Prostitution Research & Education (PRE) is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization that conducts research on prostitution, pornography and trafficking, and offers education and consultation to researchers, survivors, the public and policymakers. PRE's goal is to abolish the institution of prostitution while at the same time advocating for alternatives to trafficking and prostitution - including emotional and physical healthcare for women in prostitution. The roots of prostitution are in men's assumptions that they are entitled to buy women for sex, and in racism, and women's poverty. http://www.unanima-international.org/eng/ UNANIMA International is a non-governmental organization (NGO) advocating on behalf of women and children (particularly those living in poverty), immigrants and refugees, and the environment. We with other members of civil society aim to educate and influence policymakers at the global level. In solidarity, we work for systemic change to achieve a more just world. STOP Demand On the ground, our unique membership consists of 17 congregations of Roman Catholic sisters whose 17,500 constituents work in 72 countries. We bring their voices, concerns, and experiences as educators, health care providers, social workers, and development workers to the United Nations. http://www.csecworldcongress.org/en/index.htm