Submissions & briefings - English Collective of Prostitutes

Submissions & briefings

Evidence, submissions to parliamentary committees and briefings on proposals to change the law.

22nd November 2023

Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) inquiry – Impact of the rising cost of living on women (2023)

The Women and Equalities Parliamentary Committee launched an inquiry into the impact of the rising cost of living on women. The ECP submission reports on the increase in women in crisis coming to us for information about starting work and going back into sex work – some who have left many years ago. Most are […]

18th March 2022

Online Safety Bill (2021)

The Online Safety Bill was published on 12 May 2021 with the stated aim of cracking down on “harmful” content online. A clause has now been added to the bill to include the offence of “inciting or controlling prostitution for gain” as one of the priority offences that tech companies have to look out for – […]

21st December 2021

Home Office Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy 2021-2024 call for evidence (2021)

The Home Office launched a VAWG Consultation to gather input into its 2020-2024 National Strategy. Prostitution wasn’t mentioned specifically, but some local authority VAWG strategies list prostitution as a form of violence against women on an equal par with rape, domestic abuse, stalking, harassment, etc. ECP collaborated with National Ugly Mugs and Umbrella Lane on a […]

1st June 2021

Equally Safe: A consultation on challenging men’s demand for prostitution (2020)

In November 2020, the Scottish Government launched a public consultation on “challenging men’s demand for prostitution”. Outrageously, it was presented as part of its “Equally Safe” strategy. The ECP’s response highlights the dangers of criminalisation, including the criminalisation of clients, and sex workers’ demands for decriminalisation, safety and the need for money and other material […]

13th January 2021

Sexual Exploitation Bill Private Members’ Bill (under the Ten Minute Rule) (2020)

In December 2020, Diana Johnson MP introduced a Ten-Minute Rule motion which aimed to criminalise the purchase of sex and target online sites where sex workers advertise.With members of its Safety First Coalition, including trade unionists, women’s and human rights organisations, the ECP briefed MPs against the motion. thousands of people wrote to their MP with a […]

24th December 2020

Reform of the Gender Recognition Act (GRA) 2004 (2018-2020)

In July 2018, the UK Government published its consultation on reform of the GRA in England and Wales. The ECP’s submission supported calls for reform that included the removal of the requirement for a medical diagnosis for achieving legal recognition as well as recognition of non-binary people and those under the age of 18. Read […]

13th September 2020

Irish review of the Operation of Part 4 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017 (2020)

The Irish government criminalised the purchase of sexual services under The Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017. In 2020 it reviewed the law, specifically its ability to protect sex workers from harm and to identify victims of human trafficking. The ECP provided evidence that it did not achieve either of the above aims and recommended […]

20th May 2020

CEDAW General Recommendation on Trafficking of Women and Girls in the Context of Global Migration (TWGCGM) (2019-2020)

In 2019, CEDAW (Committee on The Elimination of Discrimination Against Women) called for contributions to its draft general recommendations on TWGCGM. The ECP’s written submission outlined the context of trafficking and sex work in the UK, including the impact of Brexit, the Government’s policy of austerity cuts and a hostile environment for migrants which forces […]

30th April 2020

Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) inquiry – Unequal impact: Covid-19 and the impact on people with protected characteristics (2020)

In April 2020, the WEC launched an inquiry into the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on people with protected characteristics (that is people who are discriminated against on the grounds of “age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership and pregnancy and maternity”). The ECP’s submission demanded ‘emergency payments for […]

31st December 2019

Women and Equalities Select Committee (WEC) Inquiry into Prostitution: How can we tackle inequalities and harm? (2019)

The remit of the WEC inquiry focused on the “inequalities and harms that sex workers experience at work and the harms associated with prostitution as a whole”. The ECP mobilized its network to submit evidence and ensure that the research didn’t interpret the question of “harm” in a way that reinforces the view that prostitution is inherently […]