To engage in conversation about these issues on Twitter, use the hashtags #MyFreedomDay, #IWD2018, and #InternationalWomensDay. We’ll be Tweeting about this important day, so join us in the conversation! Together, let’s shed light on the sexual exploitation of women and work to eradicate it. If you lead an organization in the anti-sex trafficking movement, today is your last opportunity to sign onto World Without Exploitation’s letter urging Senate leaders to bring H.R. 1865 to the Senate floor for a vote.
While exploitation will always exist in our world, we will never stop fighting for a world free from sexual exploitation. As part of that effort, songwriter Steve Stiler wrote a guest blog for us entitled: “International Women’s Day: It’s Time for an Apology.” He calls on men to recognize how they could be doing more to combat the objectification and sexual exploitation of women and girls.
How the Pornography Industry Holds Back Women’s Equality
In light of International Women’s Day, our Vice President of Advocacy and Outreach Haley Halverson has a blog discussing this year’s theme: #PressForProgress. She explains that there are few industries holding back women’s progress as much as the pornography industry.
“A call for mutual respect and equality between sexes is worthy of attention. But often people don’t take the time to consider the major forces that are normalizing, or even eroticizing, the inequality of women,” she notes.
“As it turns out, one particular industry in America and around the world is particularly adept at spreading messages that degrade and debase women: the pornography industry.”
“This lucrative and pervasive industry continues to promote damaging narratives about women for the pleasure of its viewers, and the profit of its producers,” she adds.
The Senate’s Historic Opportunity to Tackle Online Sex Trafficking
This is it—we’re just days away from the Senate potentially voting to pass the most crucial reform to federal law in decades that would help stop online sex trafficking. This is the Senate’s chance to amend the Communications Decency Act Section 230 to allow sex trafficking victims the to hold the kingpins of sex trafficking accountable for facilitating their abuse.
We face significant opposition from those who don’t want the House-passed FOSTA-SESTA bill brought to the floor for a vote at all.
I hope you’ve already started your calls, emails, and tweets, but it’s not too late toask your Senators, as well as Senate leadership, to bring FOSTA-SESTA to the Senate floor for a vote the week of March 12!
