March 19, 2025, Online Event
The conversation around sex trafficking and modern slavery has never been more urgent. With legislative changes underway in both the US and the UK, Freedom United invites you to watch our online panel event, “Protecting rights, preventing harm: Rethinking laws to address sex trafficking”.
The discussion comes at a crucial moment. Illinois is on the cusp of making history in the US. It could be the first state to decriminalize sex work and so strengthen protections against trafficking for sexual exploitation. A newly introduced bill offers a shift in policy that would help ensure cases of trafficking and exploitation are properly identified.
It does this by enabling sex workers to speak out against abuse without fear of legal persecution. This bill also protects people who are coerced into the sex trade. While many sex workers engage in their work consensually, others are forced into it through trafficking or through economic desperation. This bill strengthens protections for victims of trafficking by ensuring that resources are directed toward identifying and assisting those in need, rather than criminalizing them.
Meanwhile, in the UK, lawmakers are debating legislation that makes it an offence to pay for, or attempt to, pay for sex either for themselves or on behalf of others. It also includes measures to criminalize anyone who benefits or provides support related to the purchase of sex. These measures, if enacted, would push sex work further underground. And that stops sex workers seeking help for themselves or victims of exploitation, stops people offering help and makes it easier for traffickers to exploit their victims.
The legislation also includes welcome measures to require pornography websites to verify the age and permission of everyone featured on their site, and enable withdrawal of consent at any time. It also seeks to decriminalize victims of commercial sexual exploitation.
The key questions we will be asking
We sat down with speakers with the experience to answer the most pressing questions in the conversation around how to address trafficking for sexual exploitation, and how to improve protection for sex workers including:
- Is increasing the policing of the sex industry an effective way to find and protect trafficking survivors?
- How does the further criminalization of sex work affect trafficking victims and survivors?
- How does this issue affect society at large?
Why now?
With lawmakers actively shaping the future of sex work policies in both the US and UK to better protect people from exploitation, this webinar will provide crucial insights into the real impact of these laws and what is the most effective path forward.
Watch now
Don’t miss this vital discussion. Watch the webinar now.
