There are more English women than foreigners working in the sex industry, although the Government and the Police say otherwise. However, public opinion polls show that people think women should be able to work in the sex industry without being persecuted. However, and according to the English Collective of Prostitutes, prostitution is a situation that […]
Dear Editor,Minister Lynne Featherstone claims that the National Ugly Mugs scheme, which publishes on line descriptions of violent men, “encourages sex workers to report violent incidents”. (“Sex workers and police join forces to create rapist database” Guardian, 5 July 2012) But sex workers are already reporting and are being prosecuted for prostitution offences while their […]
by Carolina TalaveraHaving read the article “Legal or not, prostitution remains a harmful institution” by Melissa Farley in DREGS magazine, I write to comment and correct. In her piece, Farley makes a number of claims such as that prostitution is uniquely dangerous and damaging, and supports these claims with statistics and other evidence. On closer scrutiny […]
César Amaya Sandino It has become the only option for many women, but discrimination and prosecution are the only ‘solutions’ thrown at this problem of poverty and gender. In the United Kingdom around 70% of women in prostitution are single mothers who do not receive social benefits. Welfare cuts and the poverty they generate has […]
WHEN students are struggling to make ends meet they traditionally pull pints in a pub to earn some extra pocket money. Donna Asutaits’s choice of part-time job was much less conventional but far more lucrative. She turned to prostitution while studying for her degree, working as a high-class call girl and earning up to £1,000 […]
A life in writing: Selma James ‘By demanding payment for housework we attack what is terrible about caring in our capitalist society’ The last time Selma James was interviewed by the Guardian was in 1976, by the feminist columnist Jill Tweedie. At that time, James was a household name – in feminist households at least […]
Major sporting events such as World Cups and Olympic Games are often preceded by warnings about a rise in prostitution and sex trafficking as a result of the impending influx of spectators. But will prostitution in London really increase because of the 2012 Olympics?It seems like every time a World Cup or an Olympics appears […]
Sex workers in east London are facing victimisation in more ways than one leading up to the Olympic Games. There is an unholy alliance between, on the one hand, the government-driven police ‘clean-up’ operation and, on the other, often well-meaning victim support groups. The harassment leading up to the games is opposed by, among others, […]
In 2011, a 72 year old woman was charged with “keeping/managing a brothel” (SOA 2003) and money laundering. Despite a woman working in the flat confirming that she was there for her safety, the jury at Luton Crown Court found her guilty on both counts. It came out in court that she was the sole […]
“Buy Sex – Pay the Price,” scream the posters in Brixton Tube. A silhouette of a shady man stands underneath the headline, moodily checking his mobile phone. “Lambeth Council and Lambeth police are targeting those who buy sex,” explains the blurb, helpfully reminding commuters that “Prostitution is a form of violence against women and girls.” […]
