Former education minister Najat Vallaud-Belkacem: 'The exploitation of women's bodies is cultural, societal and all-encompassing'

The former French education minister, Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, in Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine, France, December 7, 2023. GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT/AFP

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n April 2016, France enacted a law aimed at strengthening the fight against the prostitution system and supporting people involved in prostitution, making a strong political, ethical, social and feminist choice. Ten years on, amid pro-prostitution rhetoric on online platforms and the rise of masculinist ideology, the implementation of this law remains more necessary than ever. The very existence of prostitution impacts not only those directly victimized by it but also has a systemic effect on all women, legitimizing a culture of domination and unfettered access to their bodies.

The road was winding and grueling. After nearly three years of heated debate – often unreasonable, sometimes dishonest, marked by stereotypes and unexpected alliances – the law was passed by a margin of 130 votes. On April 6, 2016, France made a decisive break. By criminalizing the purchase of sexual acts and eliminating the offense of soliciting, it shifted the legal burden and redirected the stigma to the heart of the system: the "clients." This decision hinged on a fundamental principle – the bodies of women are not commodities – and a major conviction: as long as there are clients, there will be prostitution networks.