Trafficking in human beings and sexual exploitation: Preliminary research on the reduction of the demand

A vast amount of scholars, experts, NGOs and legislators worldwide concur that there is a direct link between prostitution, human trafficking and sexual exploitation of women.1 In the EU, the issue has been tackled from several angles by the Member States. However, despite numerous reports, action plans and international conferences on combating human trafficking and sexual exploitation, the sex trade and organized criminal rings continue to flourish. Reducing the demand for “sexual services” is a new battlefield that some international organizations and states are cautiously exploring. This paper plans to contribute to the debate on the efficiency of the existing demand-focused policies and on the forms that the reduction of the demand could take.