The Malta Confederation of Women's Organisations has expressed itself against the regularisation of prostitution in Malta as a normal and legitimate business saying this would increase the trafficking of women.
It proposed that Malta should adopt the Nordic model which decriminalised all those who were prostituted and provided support services to help those who wanted to exit from this trade.
This model, adopted in countries such as Sweden, Norway, Iceland, France and Canada, also made buying people for sex a criminal offence so as to reduce the demand for sex trafficking.
The Nordic model, the MCWO said, acknowledged that ending the demand for commercial sexual acts was key in the fight against pimping, procuring and trafficking.
Prostitution and sexual exploitation were the root causes of human trafficking and women constitute 85% of victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation, it said.