Sex work mythology and abolitionist reality: International battle-lines

Julie Bindel will critique the global ‘sex workers’ rights’ movement and how its ‘happy hooker’ narrative has come to shape our perceptions of what is misleadingly named as ‘the oldest profession’. She describes alternative efforts to raise the public’s consciousness of the harm of prostitution and efforts to lobby governments to do something about it. Julie's analysis aims to give voice to women who have survived the abusive reality of prostitution.

Surrogacy as reproductive prostitution

The time for abolition is now Renate Klein will underline the many similarities between all forms of surrogacy and prostitution. She argues that it is misogynist, racist and classist patriarchy that makes it seem acceptable to use women as ‘workstations’ (to borrow Julie Bindel‘s term) in both surrogacy and prostitution. These are both international multibillion businesses that need to be stopped. They can never be regulated to become ‘ethical’ or ‘work‘ as pro-prostitution and prosurrogacy supporters demand.