Sheila Jeffreys: Feminism And The Traffic In Women: Between The Wars And Today – Keynote Address

“Trafficking in women for  prostitution exists because  of national prostitution, because of  the demand by men to use women in prostitution, which is nurtured and constructed within national boundaries.”

“The feminists concentrated on prevention. They said we require to understand the cause. The cause is men's demand. They said we mustn't blame the women. They said that the time and energy used in protecting girls and rescuing trafficked women was wasted, unless accompanied by efforts to combat the fundamental reason why prostitution continues to exist.”

“I think  that we simply need to… link up with our foresisters,  believe the damage, and  actually work to eliminate, as our foresisters did, men's demand to use women all over the world, within national boundaries, and forever.”

Abstract:

Feminist campaigning through the League of Nations in the 1920s and 1930s led to the UN Convention Against the Traffic in Persons, 1949. The ideas and strategies of these foresisters are of considerable interest to us today during a renewed feminist campaign to gain international legislation against trafficking. I will compare earlier conclusions such as the inevitable connection between ‘national’ prostitution and trafficking and the need to work against the cause of prostitution, men’s demand to use women, with the debate today. Study of this earlier feminist work helps us to see why separating ‘free’ prostitution from trafficking, as some contemporary feminists assert we should do, is likely to be an effective strategy against the traffic in women. 

Since 1996:

Sheila has continued her work in history and politics, writing and contributing to numerous books, and co-founding Women’s Declaration International.