Fighting for Justice Foundation

NEED TO KNOW
FACTS
The Nordic Model policy
approach began in
Sweden in 1999, through
a raft of gender equal
legislation the Swedish
Government know as the
Women’s Peace and
Sanctuary Laws.

The Nordic Model since has

had great success in
reducing human trafficking
to almost non-existent, in
cutting the demand for
prostitution - the
commodification of flesh in
“In Sweden it is understood that any society that
half, and has been
claims to defend principles of legal, political,
successfully implemented in
economic, and social equality for women and girls
eight other countries,
must reject the idea that women and children,
including: Sweden, Norway,
mostly girls, are commodities that can be bought,
Iceland, Finland, Korea,
sold and sexually exploited by men”
Canada, France, Northern
Ireland and endorsed by the
Ekberg
European Parliament, and is
Chapter 6 s8 of the Swedish Penal Code states:
being considered by: Italy,
Israel, “Anyone who promotes or encourages or improperly
Luxemburg and Scotland.   exploits for commercial purposes casual sexual relations
entered into by another person in exchange for payment is
The legalisation and
decriminalisation approach guilty of a criminal offence and shall be sentenced for
to prostitution is procuring to imprisonment for at most four years.”

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The following are the three main areas of prosecution of

users of sexual services under the Swedish laws:

1. The purchase of sexual services

2. Procurement

3. Human trafficking

Sweden’s legislation The goal is to damage the market - driven by brothel

recognises that it is
unacceptable for men to
purchase women for sexual
exploitation.
owners, pimps, but also men buying sex, and to starve it of
its buyers.
Jonas Henriksson, a Swedish Detective Sergeant who works combating
prostitution and trafficking – speech in the European Parliament.

The Nordic Model The law is a catalyst for changes in societal

acknowledges that less attitudes by eradicating gender violence.
demand for prostitution and
less demand for trafficking For the approximately 20,000 women in prostitution in
equates to less prostitution and Australia, the legalised, decriminalised or regulated
less trafficking - reducing the systems of prostitution do not work, and from Melissa
number of women exposed to Farley's research we know that over 80% of women in
the harmful abuse, prostitution if asked, would do anything else.
objectification,
commodification and gender The majority of women working in
based violence that the women
in the industry face - and prostitution want to get out.
therefore community as a
whole has more of a chance to
achieving gender equality
outcomes for all women and
girls.

Nordic Model laws

decriminalise all people who
sell sex and provide exit
programs for those who wish
to leave the sex trade,
including services aimed at
providing housing, health,
education and employment
support.

As a result of criminalising
buyers of sex, these laws have
had a marked effect on cultural
attitudes towards women, and
the Nordic Model has been
effective in reducing sex
trafficking.

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