V Conference on prostitution in Calvià

Thursday 4^th November 2021

V CONFERENCE ON PROSTITUTION IN CALVIÀ

The V Conference on Prostitution in Calvià take places today and tomorrow, which has been inaugurated by the president of the Government of the Balearic Islands, Francina Armengol, and the mayor of Calvià, Alfonso Rodríguez Badal, and which has the intervention of specialised people and entities that help and support women victims of sexual exploitation.

President Armengol thanked these entities for the work carried out, as well as all the people and administrations that work firmly in favour of real equality between men and women, and specifically for the work that has been carried out during the 20 months of the pandemic which has further evidenced the vulnerability of prostituted women.

For his part, the mayor of Calvià, who has welcomed the attendees and the participants in this conference, has affirmed that a just society must combat all kinds of violence against women, and prostitution is one of them. "Can violence be regulated? No, it must be fought. Abolition is more than just prohibition, it is the protection of victims and the fight against exploiters”, he added, noting that Calvià Town Hall and all the institutions of the Balearic Islands are on this path.

The conference began with a roundtable, presented by the Head of Equality of Calvià Town Hall, Sandra Sedano, amongst the three entities that work with women victims of sexual exploitation: Creu Roja, Casal Petit and Médicos del Mundo, whose representatives have explained the worsening of the situation of vulnerability of prostituted women during the pandemic.

The event continued with the intervention of the expert Lluís Balleaster who spoke about the processes of concealment and relocation in the prostitution system in Mallorca; Iván Sambade, who talks about the construction of the client's sexual desire: men, power and human vulnerability; and this first day will be closed by Lourdes de la Cruz Cano who will explain the report on the identification of cases of trafficking for sexual exploitation in Palma, and Patricia Hermosilla who will reflect on the psychological damage suffered by prostituted women.

The deputy mayor for Equality, Nati Francés, explained that this Conference is the reflection of a previous work carried out by Calvià Town Hall. She has indicated that the pandemic has been a turning point in this work in which the municipality has given help to women victims of sexual exploitation and that it will continue to work to get them out of this continuous violation of both, their bodies and liberty.

The V Conference on Prostitution in Calvià can be followed live on Calvià Town Hall's YouTube Channel.