Title: Cinquie`me congre`s international tenu du 10 au 13 septembre 1889 a` Gene`ve
Description: These proceedings begin with the constitution of the International Abolitionist Federation and then the program of the September 1889 meeting held in Geneva. The first pages of the Proceedings note the members on the federation's executive committee as well as national delegates from various countries and provide a copy of the Federation's constitution and the conference program. The proceedings include the full texts of papers presented at a series of topical sessions. The first section focused on hygiene and had lectures by Professor J.L. Chanfleury van Ijsselstein of The Hague, Professor Stoukowenkoff from Kiev and Mr. Ochsenbein. The next section focused on social morality and offered papers by Mlle. de Hogendorp, Mme. E. Audeoud-Monod, and Professor Charles Secretan. After a business meeting, Mr. Laurent Karcher addressed the group with a greeting from the Geneva branch of the federation.

Emile de Laveleye provided an overview of progress in recent years of various national affiliates of the federation. The first and second evenings of the conference included separate public meetings for men and women. On the first night, Dr. Forel, the president of the Federation's Hygiene Section, gave an address for his male audience. Mrs. Audeoud-Monod presided over the women's meeting. The second day of the conference began with a meeting of the Federation's Legislation section, which was directed by Mr. Bogelot, the president of the Section. Professor Félix Bovet provided an address entitled "The Limits of State Intervention in Matters of Prostitution." This session was followed by a meeting of the Social Morals section, which included a speech by Mr. Edouard Krüger, who argued against the philosophy that prostitution is a "necessary evil." He was followed by Mrs. Klerck, who spoke on the Abolitionist Movement in Holland, and Mr. H. Roehrich, who read a contribution by Mr.

Jules Pagny called "Registered Prostitution and Clandestine Prostitution from a Social and Moral Point of View." A Public Meeting followed, presided by Mr. Emile de Laveleye, which included a paper given by Professor Secrétan on the "Rights of Women and Children." Other discussions were led by Mr. F. Thiess, Mr. John Dynock, Mr. Van Swindern, and Mr. Louis Roehrich. The Federation again broke into meetings for men and women, and it was noted that the women's meeting included a large contingent of working-class women and their needs were the focus of the evening's conversation. The third day of the conference began with a meeting with the Hygiene Section, during which Mr.

Westerberg of Stockholm, Sweden, gave two addresses: "Statistical Sources and their Comparative Value in the Study of Regulation" and " The Results of Regulation in Stockholm." These papers were followed by Professor Celso Pellizzari's discussion of the "Uneffectiveness of the 'Visite Obligatoire' [mandatory hygiene inspection]." The morning meeting was followed by the Legislation Section's discussion of the White Slave Trade. The fourth day of the conference began with a meeting of the Hygiene Section, including a presentation by Professor James Stuart of Cambridge University, speaking on "The Contagious Disease Acts in England and India." A meeting of the Legislation Section followed, with Mr. Ochsenbein presenting on "The Project of Revising the Penal Code of Neuchâtel. Following an afternoon business meeting among Federation members, the closing session was opened to the public which included closing statements by Federation members of various nationalities.

The document concludes with a list of Resolutions adopted by the Geneva Congress of 1889.
Subjects: Prostitution, Congresses, International, 1889