An open letter in support of Amnesty International’s recent proposals to decriminalise sex work. Global Network of Sex Work Projects This open statement of support has been reprinted with permission from nswp.org. To support this initiative, sign NSWP’s petition at change.org.The Global Network of Sex Work Projects (NSWP) would like to take this opportunity to […]
The all-party parliamentary group that recommended the criminalisation of sex workers’ clients, which is cited as backing for Caroline Spelman’s views (Outlaw buying sex, says former Tory minister, 22 April), is a partisan group whose original remit was to “tackle demand for the sex trade”. Its moralistic stance is confirmed by its choice of secretariat – […]
Mary Honeyball said: The English Collective of Prostitutes, one of the groups who have contested my report most fiercely, seem to agree with me that prostitution is a last resort. “Every time there’s a benefit cut, it forces women on to the game,” they admit. Yet in response they argue that, in the age of […]
*Paragraph that was edited out included in bold. Criminalising prostitution puts women at great riskRacism and xenophobia are also a problem for sex workers The article “Mariana Popa was killed working as a prostitute. Are the police to blame?”, News) is a turning point in getting senior officers such as Chris Armitt to admit that […]
ICRSE CoordinatorFollowing a series of article in the UK newspaper The Guardian, ICRSE and many sex workers organisations, academics and allies have signed a letter demanding a fairer representation to the debate on criminalisation of clients.To this date, the letter (or its shorter version) have not been published and The Guardian has not contacted ICRSE.Dear […]
We, the undersigned demand that prostitution – the consenting exchange of sexual services for money – is decriminalised. As LGBTQ sex workers and allies we are asking for support for the decriminalisation of prostitution – consenting sex where payment is involved. “The freedom of two people to have sexual contact with each other has historically […]
In Somalia, Lul Ali Osman Barake was sentenced to a year in jail after reporting rape by a gang of men in military fatigues. She described being raped twice, first by the military, second by the judicial system. Following an international outcry, the verdict was quashed on appeal (Report, 8 March). Rape victims in Britain […]
Legal Action for WomenCrossroads Women’s Centre PO Box 287 London NW6 5QUTel: 020 7482 2496 minicom/voice Fax: 020 7209 4761E-mail: law@allwomencount.netBernard Hogan-HoweMetropolitan Police Commissioner,New Scotland Yard, 8-10 Broadway,London, SW1H 0BG 18 September 2012Dear Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe,On 5 September, police officers from West End Central Vice Unit and ORB Safer Spaces Neighbourhood Team raided a […]
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 […]
Part of our work for the Strike 2003 was to write, with others, an Open letter to the Women’s Movement – some of those who claim to speak against violence against women picketed a sex industry establishment on International Women’s Day, when most women, children and men are desperately trying to prevent the war against Iraq. Machismo begins with the military, not […]