Conference to address local, national, international prostitution

September 30, 2009 | Events, UToday
By Emily Hickey



Did you know that Toledo is one of the nation’s top cities for the recruitment of children into prostitution and trafficking?

Find out how to change that at the Sixth Annual Conference on Prostitution, Sex Work and Human Trafficking Thursday and Friday, Oct. 1 and 2, in Student Union Rooms 2582, 2584 and 2591 on UT’s Main Campus.

The international conference will bring researchers from around the globe together to lay the groundwork for future collaborative work, advocacy and program development.

Dr. Celia Williamson, UT professor of social work and a founder of the conference, said these two days are a great way for the people of Toledo to learn about why prostitution is so prevalent.

“We have people coming from all over the world and the United States. There will be speakers from Germany, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and more,” Williamson said.

Conference speakers will address issues on human trafficking, and the needs and risks of those victimized by the commercial sex industry.

Sessions available to attendees will include why human trafficking networks succeed in the 21st century, opening a safe house for trafficked youth, and how street-level prostitution affected a survivor’s life.

The conference is open to survivors, researchers, practitioners, activists, and workers in the social service, criminal justice and health-care fields.

Registration will begin at 7:30 a.m., and sessions will run from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.

For conference fees and more information, contact Williamson at 419.530.4084 or visit www.prostitutionconference.com.

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