Press Release
CLES and the “Un trop Grand Prix” Committee Launch an Awareness Campaign During the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Montreal
MONTREAL, May 30, 2024 – Once again this year, in the context of the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Montreal, the Concertation des luttes contre l’exploitation sexuelle (CLES), in collaboration with other members of the “Un trop Grand Prix” Committee, is launching an awareness campaign regarding the risks of sexual exploitation during the Grand Prix. From May 27 to June 9, 2024, the campaign will help explain the Canadian Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act (PCEPA). The campaign will be featured on digital bus shelters and social media.
This year’s campaign stands out from previous ones because, on June 3, during the 4th World Congress for the Abolition of Prostitution, a panel titled “The Role of Sporting Events in the Commodification of Women” will be held with international experts such as Shirley Wirden, Julie Bindel, and Kerstin Neuhaus.
Finally, on June 7th and 8th, the organizations Prévention jeunesse Longueuil and Prévention jeunesse Laval, members of the “Un trop Grand Prix” Committee, will hold awareness stands in the Longueuil and Laval metro stations. Coinciding with the start of the Grand Prix, these stands will allow the organizations to hand out informative materials and raise public awareness directly.
According to Jennie-Laure Sully, community organizer at CLES: “Buying sex is not a sport! It is a crime. We’ve been saying this for years. It’s time to act so that major sporting events stop being opportunities for pimps and clients who view women and girls as commodities”
For more information on the campaign and to follow its progress, the public is invited to check out social media and the website untropgrandprix.com.
Social networking links
Facebook
Instagram
Contact:
Costa, Clara (438-988-0779)
[email protected]
Site de La CLES
The UTGP Campaign is a feature of the 4th World Congress to End Sexual Exploitation of Women and Girls
This year, the UTGP campaign is also featured in the 4th World Congress for the Abolition of Prostitution, which will be held from June 1st to 3rd, 2024, in Montreal.
This key feminist event will bring together more than 400 participants, including survivors, researchers, frontline workers, activists, parliamentarians, and government officials.
Join us for a moment of exchange and mobilization. It will be an opportunity to share, learn, and unite under the theme “Equality in Action!”. Additionally, there will be a Global March of Survivors on June 1, followed by two days of panels and workshops. This enriching and mobilizing event will be translated in English, French, and Spanish.
The panel “The Role of Sporting Events in the Commodification of Women” on June 3 will be part of the UTGP campaign.
Major sporting events often attract a concentration of male tourists, creating an atmosphere conducive to sexual exploitation. Many of these events generate a peak in the demand for the purchase of sexual acts, thus providing opportunities for pimps and traffickers.
During this plenary session, government officials, journalists, activists, and frontline workers will share their analyses and initiatives aimed at preventing the commodification of women in view of upcoming major events such as the Montreal Formula 1 Grand Prix, the Paris Olympic Games, and the UEFA European Football Championship in Germany.
PANEL SPEAKERS:
Shirley Wirden (Deputy Mayor of Paris Centre in charge of equality, France)
Julie Bindel (Writer, journalist, and feminist activist, UK)
Kerstin Neuhaus (Bündnis Nordisches Modell, Germany)
Jennie-Laure Sully (Co-coordinator and community organizer, La CLES)
Modératrice : Kaila Bertone (Coordinator, Prévention jeunesse Laval)