CEDAW and the Netherlands: Why “sex work” isn’t women’s rights

The AAWAA Women’s Advocate · Mar 5, 2026 · 13m

Emma and Amber examine the CEDAW Committee’s advance observations on the Netherlands, asking what it means when a UN women’s rights body talks about “sex work”, “safe and legal workplaces, including home‑based sex work”, and even “minor sex workers”. They discuss how this language sits with CEDAW, CRC, Palermo and the 1949 Convention, why it signals institutional drift away from sex‑based protections and rights, and what an abolitionist, treaty‑consistent approach to prostitution and trafficking should look like—for the Netherlands and for Australia.

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