Mobilizing Men to Create a Society Free from Prostitution and Sexual Exploitation
To end men's violence against women, Wake Up Brother’s work is driven by a vision to reach the hearts of men. It focuses on reshaping societal norms by inspiring men and boys to actively engage in combating misogyny and gender-based violence, promoting healthy sexuality, and fostering respectful relationships to cultivate a more loving, genuine, and equal society.
Mission
Our advocacy work revolves around addressing the systemic issue of men’s violence against women. It comes in many forms including sexual exploitation, rape, pornography, patronizing strip clubs, prostitution, trafficking, honor-based violence, domestic violence, and femicide, all intertwined and inseparable.
Wake Up Brother advocates for the abolition of prostitution and the sex trade, recognizing that it serves as a catalyst for sex trafficking and perpetuates systems of exploitation and violence against women and girls.
We advocate for the implementation of the Swedish Model worldwide, also referred to as the Abolitionist, Nordic, or Equality Model. This approach aims to combat prostitution and sex trafficking by criminalizing the purchase of sex while decriminalizing its sale. It addresses the root cause of prostitution by targeting the demand that sex-buyers create for purchased sex, viewing it as a form of exploitation and violence against women.
The Swedish Model
(also known as the Abolitionist, Nordic, or Equality Model).
The groundbreaking Swedish Sex Purchase Act has been a significant success since its introduction 25 years ago. It has proven to be the most effective way to combat human trafficking for sexual purposes because it focuses on reducing the demand for prostitution that drives human trafficking. Its successes have inspired eight other countries to adopt similar legislation, including Norway, Iceland, South Korea, France, Canada, Ireland, Northern Ireland and Israel. Additionally, in 2023 the state of Maine in the US became the first state to adopt this law. And last autumn, the European Parliament adopted a non-binding resolution urging EU countries to do the same. In 2024 the German conservative party CDU/CSU is beginning to talk about following Sweden's model.
In June 2024, the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women and Girls, Reem Alsalem, presented her groundbreaking report (A/HRC/56/48) stating that prostitution is a system characterized by violence and inequality between men and women. The report calls for states to abolish laws that permit prostitution and pornography and to adopt abolitionist legislation, such as the Swedish Model.
Learn more by visiting the following websites:
Highlights
Opinion Piece
“The media’s ignorance normalizes sex buying”
Our article explores how Denmark’s legalized prostitution has normalized the inhumane reality of sexual exploitation, exemplified by the state-funded Red Van, where men queue to buy sex from women—mostly from Romania and Nigeria. It also critiques how the media completely ignore the inherent harms of prostitution and the role of sex buyers, further contributing to the dangerous normalization of sexual violence.
Published in Dagens ETC, February 2025.
Opinion Piece
"Why do so many Swedish men want to buy ‘sex’ and exploit women?"
We write about how 136 men were caught by the police buying sex in Stockholm and why prostitution always has been and always will be a form of men’s violence against women.
Published in the newspaper Dagens ETC, November 2024.
Guest Blog Post
Felicia was a guest blogger at RealStars for Fair Sex -Against Trafficking, a prominent Swedish organization that combats human trafficking and promotes gender equality through advocacy, awareness, and support for survivors.
In her post, she shared insights from the 4th World Congress for the Abolition of Prostitution, held in Montreal in June 2024. The congress brought together global experts and activists to discuss strategies for eradicating prostitution and human trafficking.
Explore RealStars for Fair Sex's impactful work on their website and check out Felicia's guest blog.
Opinion Piece
More and more people are beginning to understand that sex can never be bought.
The Swedish Sex Purchase Law has proven to be the most effective strategy for combating prostitution and human trafficking. Now, it is spreading. This weekend, the 4th Congress for the Abolition of Prostitution takes place in Montreal. This piece, originally published in the Swedish newspaper ETC, was co-authored with representatives from The Swedish Women’s Lobby, Talita, and Beyond Survivors. June 2024.
Opinion piece
The power of the media: Draken film and the Gothenburg film festival contribute to the glorification of prostitution
Together with leading prostitution experts in Sweden, we penned an opinion piece, addressing the media's role in normalizing and eroticizing prostitution and sexual exploitation.
Published in Fempers Nyheter, March 2024
Research Report (2023)
Pornography Production Harm in Sweden: Filmed Prostitution is Inseparable from Non-Filmed Prostitution
Collaborating with Melissa Farley and Prostitution Research & Education, Felicia contributed to this research report. This report, presents research evidence that clearly shows the inextricable link between pornography, prostitution, and trafficking based on the interviews, most of whose prostitution was photographed, videotaped, or live-streamed.
Public Speaking
We are pleased to offer a series of educational presentations.
The Swedish Model also known as the Abolitionist, Nordic, or Equality Model
The 25 years of research that led up to the implementation of the law in 1999.
What the law entails and why it has been proven to be the most effective tool to combat trafficking for sexual purposes.
How it has spread to 8 other countries around the globe and how some countries even have improved it.
The Link Between Domestic Violence, Pornography, Prostitution & Sex-trafficking
How pornography, prostitution and sex-trafficking are inextricable linked and how this huge problem is negatively affecting individuals as well as society and how we can take action to stop it.
How to Talk to Your Kids about Pornography
We talk to parents and educators about the importance of teaching your children and students about empathy and the harm of pornography.
If we don't talk to our kids about porn, the porn industry will.
Our Founder
Felicia Womack is a Swedish/American activist on a mission to combat men’s violence against women.
Her journey, marked by surviving a femicide attempt and experiences of violence at the hands of men, including domestic violence and rape, offers an illuminating perspective on the far-reaching consequences of the sex industry. Although not directly involved, her encounter with its detrimental societal impact further underscores why we, as a society, must abolish prostitution and reject the idea that women can be bought by men.
Informed by her personal experiences and her research, she engage in discussions and share insights through various mediums, challenging societal norms and advocating for change.
Initially overwhelmed by pain and rage, she avoided the topic of sexual violence and prostitution until #MeToo in 2017 became a turning point, exposing the staggering prevalence of sexual abuse in even progressive societies, like Sweden. The relentless global suffering caused by men's behavior and the pain they inflict on women and children fuelled her dedication to transform sorrow and anger into action.
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Since relocating to the USA five years ago, she has researched men’s violence against women, focusing on domestic violence, pornography, prostitution, human trafficking, and their interconnectedness. As an intern with Melissa Farley at Prostitution Research & Education, she worked on a research report examining the experiences of women filmed for pornography in Sweden.
Felicia has also completed the 'Youth, Sexuality, and the Internet' course at Umeå University and the Californian State Mandated 65-Hour Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, & Human Trafficking Counselor training at YWCA. Additionally, she participated in Bekkah Charleston’s 'When Coercion Feels Like Choice: Impact of Sex Trafficking on the Brain' training and actively engaged in various webinars and conferences on these topics.
With a background spanning the worlds of art, acting, sinology, and international diplomacy across Sweden, China, France and the USA, she brings a rich understanding of global women's issues to her advocacy work. She is fluent in Swedish, English, and French, with proficiency in Mandarin, Spanish, and German.
Board Members
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Sven-Axel Månsson
PROFESSOR EMERITUS
Sven-Axel Månsson is a scholar in social work and a pioneering researcher on gender, sexuality, and the social dynamics of prostitution and sexual exploitation, focusing particularly on the role of sex buyers. He played a key role conducting the research that underpins Sweden's groundbreaking law, which not only criminalizes the purchase of sex but also emphasizes offering exit programs to support individuals trapped in prostitution. His early and insightful analysis of sex buyers, based on extensive interviews with both sex buyers and women in prostitution, provided critical foundations for these policies. He has authored numerous influential books about prostitution and on the invisible sex buyers, their role in perpetuating exploitation and harm, and the demand they create for commercial sex.
His decades of academic work have shaped policy and deepened public understanding of these critical issues. Today, Professor Månsson’s expertise and insights continue to play a vital role in advancing global efforts for gender equality and human rights.
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Per-Anders Sunesson
AMBASSADOR
Per-Anders Sunessonis the former Swedish Ambassador Against Trafficking in Human Beings for Sexual Purposes, a role in which he traveled the world for four and a half years to advocate for anti-trafficking policies and foster international collaboration. He has played a pivotal role in promoting the Swedish Model globally, advancing policies that combat human trafficking, hold perpetrators accountable, and support survivors.
With decades of experience in diplomacy and a deep commitment to human rights, Ambassador Sunesson has been a leading voice in the global fight against sexual exploitation and a tireless advocate for gender equality.
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Anna Skarhed
FORMER SWEDISH CHANCELLOR OF JUSTICE
Anna Skarhed is the former Swedish Chancellor of Justice and a prominent figure in advancing justice and equality in Sweden. She also served as the special investigator for the Swedish government's report Ut ur utsatthet (Out of Vulnerability), published in December 2023. In this capacity, she was tasked with proposing the design and organization of exit programs for adults subjected to prostitution and human trafficking, as well as programs for children exposed to sexual exploitation and trafficking. Her role involved assessing Sweden's adherence to international commitments regarding the identification, protection, and support of trafficking victims, while recommending measures to enhance these efforts.
Throughout her career, Anna has been a steadfast advocate for the Swedish Model. Her leadership in overseeing legal reforms and her unwavering commitment to gender equality have made her an important voice in the fight against sexual exploitation, both in Sweden and internationally.
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Andrea Heinz
COMMERCIAL SEXUAL EXPLOITATION ACTIVIST
Andrea Heinz is an Independent Activist and peer-reviewed scholar on commercial sexual exploitation. Drawing from her seven years spent in the commercial sex industry from 2006-2013, she has become a prominent voice in the abolition movement, advocating for actionable change toward market-constriction efforts and End Demand legislation worldwide.
Andrea is the program coordinator and facilitator of the Edmonton STOP (Sex Trade Offender Program, also known as “John school”) and with 12 years of involvement in the program, has educated hundreds of men arrested for attempting to pay for sex acts. She appeared as a Parliamentary Witness to the 2022 review of the Canadian Government’s prostitution laws, and continues to work with several individuals and organizations on strengthening Canada’s Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act.
In 2024, she and fellow-advocate Kathy King published the book, When Men Buy Sex: Who Really Pays? which filled a crucial gap in Canadian literature around commercial sexual exploitation. Andrea’s tireless efforts have been acknowledged through several awards, including the Woman of Courage Award from the Centre to End All Sexual Exploitation (2020), the inaugural Dr. Zohra Husaini Memorial Award for exceptional dedication to advancing women’s human rights from the Indo-Canadian Women’s Association (2024), and the Human Rights Champion Award from the John Humphrey Centre for Peace & Human Rights (2024).