The Coalition Against Trafficking in Women (CATW) in partnership with Prostitution Research and Education (PRE) and other co-sponsors held a protest in front of Craigslist Headquarters in San Francisco on July 8th to bring attention to Craigslist’s facilitation of and profiting from sex trafficking. “Craigslist continues to cynically profit by functioning as an online pimp,” says Norma Ramos, Executive Director of CATW. “Craigslist is the new stroll where pimps traffic, johns buy and Craigslist profits,” says Melissa Farley, Executive Director, PRE.
Craigslist is projected to realize a 22% increase in revenue -‐an estimated $36 million in 2010 -‐largely attributable to its functioning as a virtual red light district for pimps/traffickers and johns. Craigslist displays a reckless disregardfor human rights by increasingly becoming a part of the sex industry. Craigslist could act to create a sex trafficking free internet by no longer hosting prostitution ads and thereby setting an industry standard.
Co-‐sponsors who included: Gloria Steinem, Breaking Free, Equality Now, A Call to Men, Center for World Indigenous Studies (Mexico-‐USA), End Child Prostitution and Trafficking (ECPAT-‐USA), Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-‐NY), Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-‐CA), Mark P. Lagon, Former Ambassador-‐At-‐Large to Combat Trafficking in Personsand many others.
Scheduled Speakers Included: Joy Friedman, Women’s Program Manager, Breaking Free Glenda Hope, Executive Director, SafeHouse San Francisco for Homeless Women Escaping Prostitution Victor Malarek, Author/Activist, The Natashas and The Johns Aaron Cohen, Author/Activist, Slave Hunter Terria Joseph, Actor When: Thursday, July 8, 2010 Where: Craigslist Headquarters
1381 9th Avenue (Between Judah and Irving Streets)
San Francisco, CA 94122
Time: 12:00 -‐2:00 PM
Co-‐Sponsors Include: Men Stopping Violence, The Women’s Front of Norway, Dayton Human Trafficking Accords, UNANIMA International, Aboriginal Women’s Action Network (Canada), The Temple Committee Against Human Trafficking (Canada), The Barnaba Institute, Global Centurion, National Organization For Women -‐NYC (NOW-‐NYC), Kathleen Barry, Robin Morgan, Embrace Dignity Campaign (South Africa), The Rebecca Project for Human Rights, Stop Porn Culture, Media Watch, Pacific Alliance to Stop Slavery, Girl Fest Hawaii, Public Good Project, Children’s Civil Rights Union, California Survivors of Craigslist Trafficking, Chab Dai USA, Veronica’s Voice, Women’s Justice Center, LOOKBOTHWAYS, California Against Slavery, A Girl Like Me Campaign, Nomi Network, Women’s Global Resource and Development Initiative, Minorities and Survivors Improving Empowerment (MASIE), Live2Free, Lydia Today Foundation, Love146, Nevada Coalition Against Sexual Violence, Nevada Coalition Against Sex Trafficking, National Dominican Women’s Caucus, Because Justice Matters, New York League of Puerto Rican Women, Inc. (NYLPRW), Soroptimist International of the Americas, Women’s Support Project (Scotland), Revolt: Fight To End The Commercial Sex Trade, Exploited Voices now Educating (EVE), My Sisters’s Place, Inc (Canada), What If It Were Your Daughter/Silver Braid, Sex Industry Survivors, REED (Resist Exploitation, Embrace Dignity) (Canada), Apne Aap (India), Asian Women Coalition Ending Prostitution, Bamboo Bridges, Vancouver Rape Relief and Women’s Shelter (Canada), Canadian Association of Sexual Assault Centres, Council for Prostitution Alternatives, Abolish Slavery, Mrs. Gingerbread Inc., Technorazzi.com, Asian Americans for Community Involvement (AACI), Feministiskt Initiativ (Sweden), Raise The Bar Productions, EAVES (UK), TFK Ventures, LLC., Setting the Captives Free Ministries (Canada), Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking, Concertation des luttes contre l’exploitation sexuelle (Canada), Sisters of the Holy Family, Bilateral Safety Corridor Coalition, New York State Anti-‐Trafficking Coalition (NYSATC), Innocents at Risk, Women’s Missionary Society 4th District of the AME Church, Mission San Jose High School Anti-‐Trafficking Coalition, Scottish Coalition Against Sexual Exploitation, Frederick Douglass Family Foundation, Born2Fly Project.