We challenged how Sweden taxes women in the sex trade, treating their exploitation as a normal job. By blending the official tonality of the government with the harsh realities of these women, we sparked discussions with the aim of changing the tax laws.

This strategy not only drew attention but also aimed to alter public opinion and policy through the power of communication. The campaign rooted in exposing a painful truth - calling the government out on their bullshit. We aimed to both protect the victims and push for tax legislation changes, demonstrating Talita's commitment to societal progress.

In Sweden, prostitution and sex trafficking are viewed as the same thing. There’s laws in place that are designed to protect women caught in sex trafficking, recognizing them as victims of a crime and not as criminals. This is to help the women escape this exploited situation and to firmly establish the belief that the sex trade is a nightmare for women, far from being considered just another job. This approach is widely supported and a source of national pride, emphasizing Sweden's commitment to equality and women's rights.

The government secretly taxing the victims of sex trafficking raises questions about the true nature of protection and support provided to these women - and shakes the Swedish people's view of their government.

Talita is an NGO that helps women in escaping the sex trade and reclaim their lives on their own terms. In Sweden, the law protects those exploited in sex trafficking by making it illegal to buy but legal to sell sex, treating them as victims, not criminals. However, a paradox has emerged as the Swedish government started to tax women suffering in the sex trade, treating their exploitation as if they were selling lemonade, phones or consultant services. This approach not only trivializes their suffering but also makes their trauma worse by treating their forced situation as if it was a normal job. It ignores the harsh truth of their exploitation, making them more stuck in a system that doesn't care how bad they are hurting.

We wanted to show how ridiculous it is to think of sex trafficking as a profession, and to influence the current tax legislation.

We wanted to show how ridiculous it is to think of sex trafficking as a profession. So, we flipped the script and used the governments own style and rhetoric against them - creating Trafficking Incorporated. By mixing the language of running a business with the real life situations of the exploited women, we created a contrast that was impossible to ignore. We showed the rough and uncensored truth, just as it feels like by those who suffer in the sex trade. This message hit hard and turned the public activists.

All units in the campaign led to a campaign website (talita.se/skatt) where visitors were encouraged to file for change with a message to the government to influence the current tax legislation.

Capture nationwide attention to create urgency

Our mission was to push for legal reform, and as a small organisation, we knew we needed the public’s support to make this happen. We needed an approach that would bring our issue into the forefront of public consciousness and create a sense of urgency for immediate change.

Confronting the Swedish self-image
Sweden prides itself on being a leader in human and women's rights. Our strong stance against sex trafficking and exploitation of women is a strong part of our national identity. We decided to make use of this complacent self-perception as a tool to provoke and challenge people’s view of their own government.

Transforming the public into activists

To drive political change turning public awareness and engagement into concrete political pressure was crucial. Therefore, we made sure to direct all attention towards a simple call-to-action, directly targeting the key decision-makers for this legislation.

The first phase of the campaign consisted of traditional media placements, leading to a campaign website where visitors were encouraged to file for change with a message to the government to influence the current tax legislation. The goal was to educate the public in the current problem, as well as start putting pressure on the government to. The second phase consisted of a push towards news media. This lead to the campaign being picked up by all of the major news paper and spurred a series of debate articles regarding the current taxation laws. Most importantly, it reached into the corridors of Swedish politics leading to a multitude of debates in the Swedish Parliament. Politician from all sides came together and thanked Talita for highlighting the apparent discrepancies in the current tax laws. As for now, the parliament is revising the legislation and will notify their decision soon.

The campaign sparked a national debate, resonating across major media. Politicians, tax experts, and the public united in support, criticizing the taxation of sex trafficking victims. Within 24 hours of launching, thousands emailed the Ministry of Finance through our campaign site, urging the minister to reconsider the legislation.

Relying at only donated and earned media, the campaign was observed by an impressive 43% of all Swedes, of which 75% joined our side in the fight to change how the government treats sex trafficking victims.

Nationwide, voices challenged politicians, making it impossible for the government to overlook the issue. On December 1st, the finance minister publicly addressed our campaign in parliament, leading to a review of the legislation that permits the taxation of sex trafficking victims, a significant victory for our cause.