Gender Equality Minister Participates in 1st Prostitution Committee Meeting

On Friday 9 February 2024, Luxembourg's Minister for Gender Equality and Diversity, Yuriko Backes, held her first constitutive meeting with the Prostitution Committee (Comité prostitution).

Minister Backes exchanged views with members of the committee, which was established by Grand-Ducal regulation in March 2023 and took over from the informal "prostitution platform". The latter had begun working in 2012 to develop a national action plan for prostitution.

The Prostitution Committee is chaired by the Ministry for Gender Equality and Diversity and brings together representatives from said ministry, as well as the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Public Prosecutor's Office, the Grand Ducal Police, the DropIn and HIV Berodung services of the Luxembourg Red Cross, the social affairs department of the City of Luxembourg and members of civil society.

Its mission consists, among other things, in monitoring the phenomenon of prostitution in the Grand Duchy and regularly analysing its evolution, also with a view to formulating concrete recommendations (in annual reports) for the government.

Minister Backes expressed her delight at participating in this first committee meeting and stressed that "historically, prostitution and society's attitude towards it is a classic topic  equality policy". She added: "Given its multidisciplinary composition, the committee represents a unique platform to bring together the different actors who are confronted with the phenomenon of prostitution in their daily work, and to discuss the various aspects relating to it such as the legal framework, psychosocial support, health and prevention issues and the security aspect."