Say No to the World Cup Brothels
The national coordinating body for the March in France is mobilizing intensively against the massive prostitution of women for the World Cup soccer event being held June 9–July 9 in Germany. The action commenced with a petition launched by the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women (CATW). The French coordinating body of the World March of Women then joined with other organizations to write a tract denouncing the "World Cup bawdy houses." The tract was signed by 60 organizations, political parties and trade union groups.
Some three million spectators—most of them men—are expected for this World Cup. The German government authorized the construction of a mega-brothel next to the stadium in Berlin, featuring a surface area of 3000 square meters spread over four floors, complete with pool, sauna, and movie theatre, to ensure that players, fans, organizers and tourists have easy access to women's bodies to celebrate a victory or console themselves after losing. Some 40,000 women will be moved from countries in Central and Eastern Europe and Africa to be prostituted in Germany. During the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004, Interpol confirmed the presence of 20,000 prostitutes who had been brought into the Greek capital..
The French coordinating body of the March proclaims there is no such thing as free choice when it comes to prostitution. "This event is for us one of the most sordid manifestations of the industrialization of the sex trade. Liberal policies, the sole purpose of which is the continual search for new markets and profits, and patriarchy are generating unprecedented growth in the sex industries, inspiring a merchandizing of women's bodies and trafficking in human beings that extends far beyond this particular sports event."
Sign the petition launched by CATW (multilingual). View the actions organized by the French March coordinating body (in French only).