We are so excited to announce that YOU have helped to change history once again through your dedicated prayers! From January to April of last year, Paris, France, was Exodus Cry’s City in Focus. For three months you joined forces with us to pray for the changing of prostitution laws in the nation.
On Tuesday April 5, 2016, our prayers were answered when 62 members of parliament voted to pass legislation that prohibits the purchase of sexual services throughout the country. It was a long, two-year battle for champions of the legislation in France and around the world, who were supporting and advocating for change—but finally truth and justice have prevailed.
Now, women in the sex industry in France are offered services for escape through a national exit strategy, assistance through a financial aid program, and restoration through funded support services. Women in prostitution are now seen as victims of sexual exploitation, and men who buy women’s bodies for sex are now rightly bearing the stigma of criminals. The legislation recognizes and affirms that prostitution is not a “job” but a form of violence against women, and an obstacle to the achievement of gender equality.
The legislation recognizes and affirms that prostitution is not a “job” but a form of violence against women, and an obstacle to the achievement of gender equality.
Not only does the legislation ban the purchase of sex and offer assistance to the women who have fallen victim to the sex industry, but it also seeks to send a strong message about human worth. It goes so far as to create a “non-commodification” education policy that will be developed in schools to teach children from an early age that human bodies are not merchandise.
The leaders of the nation of France have bravely declared war on sex trafficking and a sex industry that profits from the exploitation and abuse of women. The country has taken a bold step to defend human dignity and to send a message at home and abroad that women’s bodies are not for sale.
We certainly see this monumental change as an answer to the prayers and actions of organizations and individuals around the globe who’ve collectively fought for freedom. Thank you for being dedicated to prayer, spreading awareness, and supporting legislative advocacy for abolition. The victory in France is a huge leap forward for the abolition movement! Onward!
