This handbook seeks to explore and elucidate the links between prostitution and trafficking, focusing on gender equality and the issue of demand. It was initially developed for the 13 countries participating in the joint Coalition Against Trafficking in Women (CATW) and the European Women’s Lobby (EWL) Project on Promoting Preventative Measures to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings for Sexual Exploitation: A Swedish and United States Governmental and Non-Governmental Organisation Partnership.
The women, in the CATW/EWL locally based projects combating prostitution and trafficking, identified a need to gather together in one accessible document, ideas, research and arguments to support their work to prevent prostitution and trafficking. The CATW/EWL joint initiative decided to compile such a publication, which is this briefing handbook. This handbook may be used as a resource for any NGO or governmental group or authority that is interested in addressing the gaps in anti-trafficking programmes: the links between prostitution and trafficking, the importance of programmes and policies that are based on gender equality, the legal status of the sex industry, and the male demand for prostitution that promotes sex trafficking.