Support the Sex Trade Survivors Act, an Equality Model Solution for Massachusetts
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We are The EMMA Coalition, A Coalition for the Equality Model in Massachusetts
The Equality Model in MA (EMMA) Coalition is a survivor-led, community effort that works to dismantle systems of violence against prostituted people through the implementation of the Equality Model. Sadly, you can search for almost any woman or girl’s name and find someone who has been harmed, disappeared, or murdered because of the sex trade. Buyers, exploiters, and traffickers use prostitution as a means to dehumanize and take advantage of people in vulnerable situations and profit off the sale of their bodies; with women and girls of color and/or low income backgrounds and LGBTQ+ youth disproportionately impacted.
Our Voices Matter
As survivors and leaders of front-line organizations here in Massachusetts, we believe that people impacted by sexual exploitation, poverty, and systems should be the leaders for effective change. We have been meeting prostituted individuals on the street, in crisis, wherever they are and have been doing so for a long time. We also understand that for a vast majority of individuals, prostitution has often been a continuum of violence that started early in life. Exiting out is complicated and rarely a linear journey. We know prostitution cannot be made safer, or better. There needs to be a comprehensive and holistic approach that offers viable options and opportunities. Survivors in many parts of the country are not only leading programs but working to one day end the need for programs by addressing the situational and economic factors that render individuals vulnerable, working to reduce the number of those entering into prostitution. We are also part of a growing global network of survivors from countries all over the world, providing resources, supporting survivors in developing their own power and voice; looking at models of success as in Sweden, France, and elsewhere. We are campaigning for legislative change, engaging public officials, community leaders, activists and advocates to join our efforts for an Equality Model that ensures protection, support, exit options and ensures basic needs for all.
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