There is always so much more to learn about the issue of trafficking and sexual exploitation.
It can seem overwhelming how much there is to understand. We want to make it easier to understand this issue. So, this page gathers some of the most relevant and recent articles, studies, and reports. We hope these resources, collected from a range of sources, are useful to you. If you know of other resources that would be beneficial to us and others as they fight sexual exploitation in New Zealand, please let us know.
In May 2024, the UN Special Rapporteur for Violence Against Women and Girls released this report. You can watch the Special Rapporteur, Reem Alsalem, present her findings to the UN in a short video here.
The report unequivocally concludes that prostitution is a system of violence against women and girls, which violates their human rights. It states that it is not possible to remove the violence, degradation, and danger from prostitution and that attempting to do so – as Aotearoa New Zealand have done – permits systemic violence.
This report is ground-breaking. Before its release in May 2024, there had been no worldwide studies done into the effects of different methods of legislating prostitution. The report gives assertive, conclusive evidence that Aotearoa New Zealand are approaching this issue incorrectly. We are in opposition to official UN recommendations, and are failing to safeguard the human rights of women and girls.
Every year, the US Department of State releases a new version of the Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report. Each country is evaluated according to its prevention, protection, and prosecution of human trafficking, include sexual trafficking.
As of 2024, for several years running the report on New Zealand has stated that ‘The Government of New Zealand does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking”. It has repeatedly recommended steps such as increasing training, improving support for those vulnerable to trafficking, and improving the legislative definitions of trafficking.
You can access the most recent version of the report by visiting this website and selecting ‘New Zealand’ on the right-hand side.
This report directly assesses claims that the decriminalisation of prostitution has benefitted women in Aotearoa New Zealand. It looks closely at the statistics provided by The Prostitutes Collective, and demonstrates the bias behind their collection and reporting.
It reveals a picture of decriminalisation very different from the ‘official’ one that is shared with the public by government and industry sources. The reported lack of trafficking, decrease of crimes against women, and increase in health and safety turn out to be false, manipulated claims.
Red Light Expose is a podcast formed to combat the normalisation and acceptance of ‘sex work’ ideology. The podcast i the combined effort of several survivors, who regularly interview guest experts in issues such as trauma, pornography, and activism.
They have an episode which explores the experiences of survivors within New Zealand, both before and after full decriminalisation. It shows that despite decriminalisation, prostitution is just as dangerous, degrading, and traumatising as it has ever been.
You can listen to this episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Youtube. To listen to the podcast on other platforms, visit their website.
Exodus Cry are an international organisation that fight sex trafficking, pornography, and sexual exploitation. One of their goals is to change the international narrative around sex and the sex industry by releasing through provoking, high quality media that challenges culture. Their podcast is one method.
In one podcast episode, they explore the specific situation in New Zealand, following a staff member visiting Tauranga’s brothels. They discuss the changes the abolition model would make to the welfare of women and girls in Aotearoa New Zealand, and the dangers of a culture which so readily accepts and legitimises the sex trade.
You can listen to the episode on their website, on Youtube, or on Apple Podcasts
Following us and other organisations online is a great way to learn more about this topic. Sharing posts is a key way to raise awareness and shift the narrative about exploitation in Aotearoa. De-normalising prostitution, pornography and rape culture is a vital step towards bringing freedom from sexual exploitation.
Here are a few great organisations to follow: