"The Parliamentary Assembly observes with concern that trafficking in human beings remains a crime with a significant gender dimension. Women and girls represent 63% of all registered victims in the European Union in the years 2019-2020, while the victims of sexual exploitation made up 51% of the share. Among those victims, 87% are female: 73% women and 27% girls, who continue to be particularly vulnerable to violence and abuse, and face high levels of discrimination in access to education, employment, health, housing, justice, and protection from violence. Addressing the root causes of this vulnerability is essential to protect individuals, especially women, girls, and transgender women from exploitation and ensure their rights are upheld."
To effectively protect rights of those in prostitution, the connection between the sex market system and human trafficking for sexual exploitation should be emphasized from the start. The numbers referenced are from 2022 European Commission Report on the fight against trafficking in humans beings.