[Caractère de la fédération]

This document outlines the origins of the International Abolitionist Federation, created in 1875, and details its stance on the abolition of legally-sanctioned prostitution throughout the globe. In particular, this piece targets "Morals Brigades," which, in certain countries like France, were charged with the task of ensuring decency and hygiene in state-regulated brothels. The Federation argues instead that Morals Brigades allowed the degradation of women, the perversion of social mores, and social-hygienic contamination rather than the stated goal of enforcing a "necessary evil."