10 Years of the French Gender Equality Model, Solidarity Creating Change in Korea
Congratulations on the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the Equality Model in France.
My name is Bara and I am a survivor-activist with the Korean Prostitution Survivor Network, Moongchi.
Moongchi’s name has the following meaning: “when we, as survivors, come together, nothing is impossible.” Currently, there are survivor-led self-help groups in six regions across Korea, and I am an activist in “Kissing Gurami,” a self-help group based in Jeollabuk-do Province. “Kissing Gurami” began its activities in 2006 and marks its 20th anniversary this year.
The reason our self-help groups have been able to continue for 20 years is that survivors, who once had nowhere to stand, have supported one another to build lives free from prostitution. We have also continuously engaged in intense discussions, reinterpreting the sexual exploitation and violence we experienced, and examining why prostitution is not an individual issue but a structural social problem.
Due to the nature of prostitution, there are strong social prejudices and blame surrounding the “agency” of women in prostitution. As a result, even we, as survivors, would often believed that the violence we experienced was “our own fault.” However, through our self-help groups, we came to understand that prostitution is not something women freely choose, but rather something shaped by structural conditions in which vulnerable women are used and exploited. Through this realization, we came to see that our experiences were not a matter of “choice,” and that the responsibility lies not with us, but with society.
In Korea, prostitution has never been legal. However, it remains a society where sex can be purchased at any time. We must ask why the sex industry continues to exist. Who benefits from prostitution? Who wants to sustain it? Who are the people surrounding and enabling the sex industry?
A government that ignores sexual exploitation, brothel owners who profit from women’s bodies, police who collude with them, buyers who believe they can purchase women’s bodies and dignity, landlords who provide spaces where prostitution takes place, citizens who normalize and overlook prostitution in everyday life, and even the women who are prostituted.
Among the many people who sustain the sex industry, none of them question or reflect on prostitution. Due to the stigma and hatred imposed on women in prostitution, women end up blaming themselves. Isn’t it time for this to change?
We are now shedding internalized stigma and focusing on the structures of sexual exploitation. We speak out about our experiences, exposing the reality of these structures and making it clear that the responsibility does not lie with women, but with systems of exploitation.
Without self-help groups, without Moongchi, I might still believe that I was the one who ruined my own life, while hating and blaming myself. But through meeting other survivors, I have changed. I love who I have become. I am grateful to live in solidarity, supporting one another and talking with those who once had the same thoughts I had.
In 2026, it has been 10 years since France adopted the Equality Model. I am honored to be here, to learn about the background of its adoption, and to meet activists and survivors who are working to challenge prostitution.
In particular, I feel empowered to know activists like Rosen Hicher and Alexine, who are working tirelessly in France. Although I have not met them in person before, their presence alone gives strength to me and to all of us.
The slogan of Moongchi is, “Our existence is praxis.” I hope that the mere existence of a survivor-led anti-prostitution movement in Korea can be a source of strength to survivors around the world. We will continue our work with dedication. I also hope this message reaches those working on the frontlines of sexual exploitation globally, and that each of you remembers: eyour very existence is praxis.
Once again, I sincerely congratulate France on the 10th anniversary of the Equality Model. We ask for your continued interest and solidarity so that Korea, too, can adopt this model as soon as possible, and move toward a society where women’s right not to be prostituted is taken for granted. I hope that when we meet again, I will be able to share news of meaningful change in Korea.
To close, I would like to end with Moongchi’s slogan.
Our existence is praxis!
Thank you.
Director of Network of Women with Lived Experience of Prostitution 'Moongchi'
Bara, a member of “Kissingurami”, a self-help group for women with experience in prostitution in the Jeonbuk region
10 Years of the French Gender Equality Model, Solidarity Creating Change in Korea
Congratulations on the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the Equality Model in France.
My name is Bara and I am a survivor-activist with the Korean Prostitution Survivor Network, Moongchi.
Moongchi’s name has the following meaning: “when we, as survivors, come together, nothing is impossible.” Currently, there are survivor-led self-help groups in six regions across Korea, and I am an activist in “Kissing Gurami,” a self-help group based in Jeollabuk-do Province. “Kissing Gurami” began its activities in 2006 and marks its 20th anniversary this year.
The reason our self-help groups have been able to continue for 20 years is that survivors, who once had nowhere to stand, have supported one another to build lives free from prostitution. We have also continuously engaged in intense discussions, reinterpreting the sexual exploitation and violence we experienced, and examining why prostitution is not an individual issue but a structural social problem.
Due to the nature of prostitution, there are strong social prejudices and blame surrounding the “agency” of women in prostitution. As a result, even we, as survivors, would often believed that the violence we experienced was “our own fault.” However, through our self-help groups, we came to understand that prostitution is not something women freely choose, but rather something shaped by structural conditions in which vulnerable women are used and exploited. Through this realization, we came to see that our experiences were not a matter of “choice,” and that the responsibility lies not with us, but with society.
In Korea, prostitution has never been legal. However, it remains a society where sex can be purchased at any time. We must ask why the sex industry continues to exist. Who benefits from prostitution? Who wants to sustain it? Who are the people surrounding and enabling the sex industry?
A government that ignores sexual exploitation, brothel owners who profit from women’s bodies, police who collude with them, buyers who believe they can purchase women’s bodies and dignity, landlords who provide spaces where prostitution takes place, citizens who normalize and overlook prostitution in everyday life, and even the women who are prostituted.
Among the many people who sustain the sex industry, none of them question or reflect on prostitution. Due to the stigma and hatred imposed on women in prostitution, women end up blaming themselves. Isn’t it time for this to change?
We are now shedding internalized stigma and focusing on the structures of sexual exploitation. We speak out about our experiences, exposing the reality of these structures and making it clear that the responsibility does not lie with women, but with systems of exploitation.
Without self-help groups, without Moongchi, I might still believe that I was the one who ruined my own life, while hating and blaming myself. But through meeting other survivors, I have changed. I love who I have become. I am grateful to live in solidarity, supporting one another and talking with those who once had the same thoughts I had.
In 2026, it has been 10 years since France adopted the Equality Model. I am honored to be here, to learn about the background of its adoption, and to meet activists and survivors who are working to challenge prostitution.
In particular, I feel empowered to know activists like Rosen Hicher and Alexine, who are working tirelessly in France. Although I have not met them in person before, their presence alone gives strength to me and to all of us.
The slogan of Moongchi is, “Our existence is praxis.” I hope that the mere existence of a survivor-led anti-prostitution movement in Korea can be a source of strength to survivors around the world. We will continue our work with dedication. I also hope this message reaches those working on the frontlines of sexual exploitation globally, and that each of you remembers: eyour very existence is praxis.
Once again, I sincerely congratulate France on the 10th anniversary of the Equality Model. We ask for your continued interest and solidarity so that Korea, too, can adopt this model as soon as possible, and move toward a society where women’s right not to be prostituted is taken for granted. I hope that when we meet again, I will be able to share news of meaningful change in Korea.
To close, I would like to end with Moongchi’s slogan.
Our existence is praxis!
Thank you.
Director of Network of Women with Lived Experience of Prostitution 'Moongchi'
Bara, a member of “Kissingurami”, a self-help group for women with experience in prostitution in the Jeonbuk region