Creating change, one law at a time.
Our World Without Exploitation advocacy priorities.

WorldWE is leading the national fight for the Equality Model, a legal approach that repeals laws that criminalize people who are exploited in the sex trade, and instead offers them the comprehensive, trauma-informed social services they need to exit the sex trade and rebuild their lives.  

Importantly, the Equality Model seeks to also hold pimps, sex buyers, brothel owners, and other third-party exploiters accountable for the devastating harms they cause.

Sometimes called the Nordic Model or partial decriminalization, the Equality Model originated in Sweden in 1999 as a tool to combat commercial sexual exploitation while promoting gender equality.  

In the years that have followed, the Equality Model has been adopted by a host of countries that have prioritized human rights and gender justice, including Canada, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Iceland, France, Israel, and Norway.  

In 2023, WorldWE, in partnership with organizations, policy champions, and survivor leaders on the ground successfully passed through legislation in Maine that decriminalizes prostituted people and provides them avenues to seek criminal record relief, while maintaining penalties for pimps, sex buyers, and brothel owners! 

We continue to support efforts in Massachusetts and New York to pass comprehensive Equality Model legislation. 

Today, through our “Equal Not Exploited” Campaign, launched in 2019, WorldWE is coordinating a growing network of allies who are advocating for the adoption of the Equality Model in more states across the nation.  

World Without Exploitation opposes the growth of the commercial sex trade via legalization or full decriminalization of prostitution. Our coalition has mounted opposition in states and localities across the country where there are legislative efforts to fully decriminalize or legalize prostitution. The effect of these policies would be to legalize sex buying, brothels, pimping, sex tourism, and other third-party exploiters. WorldWE stands with trafficking victims and survivors in opposition to these efforts.

WorldWE works to fight these initiatives, and we offer the Equality Model as the alternative, common sense policy solution.

Engaging a new generation of anti-exploitation leaders in our advocacy efforts is key to lasting, generational change. And lasting change is what the #KidsArentCriminals campaign, created by the WorldWE Youth Coalition, is all about.  

#KidsArentCriminals was created to advocate for federal passage of “Sara’s Law”  (House Resolution 2858), a bill that would allow federal judges to impose reduced sentencing for child sex trafficking victims and survivors who commit crimes against their exploiters.

In addition to advocating for Sara’s Law, WorldWE strives to ensure child sex trafficking survivors are treated as victims and not criminals in every step of their journey by supporting Safe Harbor legislation that disallows states from arresting youth for prostitution and, instead, providing them with services.