On 10 April 2006 in Crystal Palace Hotel in Sofia was held a conference on „Strategies for prevention of trafficking in human beings and sexual exploitation”, organized by the Bulgarian Gender Research Foundation.

Conference’s participants were Colette De Troy, Coordinator of the EWL European Policy Action Centre on Violence against Women, Sheila Jeffreys, professor on political sciences, representative of the Coalition against Trafficking in Women – Australia, Maria Calshamre, member of Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee of the EU Parliament, Bulgarian MPs, sociologists, jurists, journalists and representative of NGOs. The main aim of the conference was to open a large public debate on the risks and problems of the prostitution legalization in Bulgaria and abroad and to raise awareness of public on possible harmful effects for society. Participants discussed the industrialization of prostitution as a result of the legalization, money laundering and creation of a culture of prostitution which affects the everyday life of women and stimulates gender inequality.