Sweden was the first country in the world to adopt legislation criminalizing the purchase, but not the sale, of sexual services in 1999. The aim of the Swedish legislation was to reduce the demand for sexual services, equalize the power balance between men and women, and lessen the exploitation of the individual. This legislation evolved from a comprehensive gender equality approach to address violence against women, as men make up the vast majority of buyers of sexual services and users of victims.
Originally, there were fears that the ban would drive prostitution underground, making it harder to reach out to persons in vulnerable situations, but these fears have not been realized, according to a Swedish official evaluation. The evaluation also showed that the criminalization has reduced the demand and deterred trafficking in human beings as well as the establishment of organized trafficking networks in Sweden. Persons who have left prostitution were consistently positive to the ban and argued that it had strengthened their position, the evaluation found.
Gender equality is a Swedish core value, meaning equal access to power and resources for women and men to have the same opportunities to shape society and their own lives, and freedom from violence and exploitation. The work against exploitation in prostitution and trafficking for sexual purposes is an integral part of Sweden’s work to prevent and combat men’s violence against women.
Most persons exploited in prostitution are women, and the purpose of the legislation is also to encourage individuals exploited in prostitution to seek help to exit their situation. This event marks the ten-year anniversary of the French abolitionist law.