Madam president,

We reach out to you to echo the statement of our member organization from Portugal, PpDM, and express our strong opposition to the European Commission’s official participation in the Pornfilmfestival Berlin 2024.

As a feminist abolitionist European wide umbrella organization, also present in countries of the Mediterranean basin and countries like Ukraine and Russia, we represent over 3 million women, and we strongly urge the European Commission to reconsider its participation in the Pornfilmfestival Berlin and distance itself from future collaborations with the pornography industry. 

By participating in this festival, the Commission totally negates the impact of pornography on women, girls, and gender equality.  Pornography harms women and girls in several ways, particularly by reinforcing harmful stereotypes and perpetuating inequalities. First through objectification and dehumanization of women, reduced to sexual objects, reinforcing power imbalances by suggesting that women’s primary role is to serve men’s desires, making it harder to challenge broader gender inequality in both private and public spheres.

The Commission cannot ignore pornography reinforces traditional gender roles and stereotypes, with men depicted as dominant and aggressive and women as submissive or eager to please. These depictions normalize gendered power dynamics that are unequal and harmful. For young women and girls who are exposed to pornography, these stereotypes can damage and manipulate their understanding of sexuality, gender roles, and relationships, promoting the idea that submission, passivity, or even violence is a "normal" part of female sexual behavior.

Madame president, 

Pornography reinforces Violence Against Women. Acts of physical domination, humiliation, or verbal abuse are unfortunately common and desensitize viewers to violence against women in real life. When violent or degrading sexual acts are normalized through pornography, it can blur the line between consensual sex and coercion, making it more difficult to address issues of sexual violence or harassment in society. This undermines efforts to reduce gender-based violence and promote respect for women’s bodily autonomy.

Moreover, the pressure to conform to the narrow beauty standards depicted in pornography can contribute to problems like eating disorders, body dysmorphia, and anxiety. This damages women's and girls' self-worth and reinforces the idea that their value is primarily based on their appearance.

Pornography does not show communication, or respect for boundaries, which are key components of consensual and respectful sexual relationships. This can lead to the expectation that women should always be willing and available for sex, even if they are not. It also undermines women’s ability to assert their boundaries, leading to harmful sexual expectations in real-life relationships. For men, exposure to these depictions can reinforce the idea that they are entitled to women’s bodies without explicit consent.

It aggravates the sexualization of young girls and blurs the line between acceptable adult sexual behavior and the exploitation of children.

Madam president,

Many women in the industry face unsafe working conditions, coercion, and many are forced into it through financial necessity, trafficking, or coercion.

The impacts of pornography on women and girls are not uniform, and marginalized groups—such as women of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, and women with disabilities—often face additional harms. Pornography perpetuates multiple layers of inequality, not just along gender lines but also through race, sexual orientation, and disability.

We are thus alarmed by the participation of a representative of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content, andTechnology (DG CONNECT), at a panel focused on shaping the future of the adult content industry. 

This involvement not only lends legitimacy to an industry that exploits women but also weakens the EU’s commitment to protecting women’s rights and eradicating gender-based violence.

While we welcome the Commission’s initiative and role in introducing the Directive on Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence, following the announcement of the Commission’s participation in this event, we must question its commitment to genuinely putting a stop to violence against women offline and online.

As our members, we believe the Digital Services Act should protect vulnerable individuals, so many of them women and girls, and not serve as a platform for dialogue with industries that thrive on dehumanization.

We expect the EU to lead by example in defending the dignity and rights of women rather than legitimizing an inherently exploitative industry. We hope the Commission, under your leadership will take immediate action to withdraw from this event and reaffirm its commitment to eliminating all forms of violence against women and girls.