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
Coming soon…
Felicia is interviewed by Exodus Cry Podcast, coming online in the coming weeks. In the meanwhile, please visit the Exodus Cry’s podcast archive and learn from their many guests.
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.
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, Felicia penned an opinion piece, published in Sweden in Fempers Nyheter, addressing the media's role in normalizing and eroticizing prostitution and sexual exploitation.
Research Report
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 7 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, I‘ve 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, I worked on a research report examining the experiences of women filmed for pornography in Sweden.
I’ve 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, I 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, I bring a rich understanding of global women's issues to my advocacy work. I’m fluent in Swedish, English, and French, with proficiency in Mandarin, Spanish, and German.