The Abolitionist Approach
The ILVA Foundation is an abolitionist organization committed to ending the exploitation of women and girls in the commercial sex trade
The abolitionist approach views prostitution as a structural issue deeply tied to gender inequality, poverty, and systemic oppression.
It rejects the notion that prostitution is a legitimate form of work and instead considers it a harmful cultural practice that disproportionately affects women and girls.
This abolitionist stance is one of our core focus areas. It informs our support for anti-trafficking initiatives, legal reform, survivor-led advocacy, and public education efforts that expose and challenge the systems enabling commercial sexual exploitation. We do this not only to protect individuals from harm, but to shift the cultural and structural norms that allow such injustice to persist.
Key Principles
of the Abolitionist Approach
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Focusing on Demand:
Criminalizing the buyers of sex, profiteers and third-party facilitators (brothel owners and pimping ‘managers’) who perpetuate the industry and create demand for
trafficking. -
Challenging Normalization:
Advocating against policies and cultural narratives that normalize prostitution as work or choice.
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Supporting Survivors:
Providing comprehensive services for those exiting prostitution, including housing, healthcare, legal aid, and economic opportunities.
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Partnering with Like-Minded Organizations:
Collaborating with entities that adhere to abolitionist values to amplify impact and ensure systemic change.
This approach recognizes prostitution as both a cause and consequence of gender inequality, with marginalized individuals — particularly women of color, immigrants, and those living in poverty —bearing the brunt of its harms.