By Karolina Piras, Freelance Journalist Credit: Mina Karenina (USW) Karolina Piras was awarded ‘Best Human Rights Story’ by EachOther’s judges at the annual Student Publication Awards this month for this article which was first published by Sane Magazine. The views expressed in the article belong to the author and do not necessarily represent the views of […]
Exclusive: ‘They like to have the power, especially if they know the girl is scared then they have the upper hand,’ says sex workerMaya Oppenheim Women’s CorrespondentPolice officers have been accused of ignoring the law in order to ‘bully, harass and intimidate’ sex workers.Two letters, sent to police by campaigners and shared exclusively with The Independent, accuse officers of […]
Exclusive: ‘They will become street-based sex workers which means you have sex with men on the street, down alleys, or sometimes in cars,’ says campaignerMaya Oppenheim Women’s CorrespondentViolence against sex workers will rise under proposed measures outlined in the government’s new online safety bill, campaigners have warned.The legislation will stop sex workers from advertising their services on the internet, […]
Exclusive: Sex worker says being ‘dragged through’ criminal justice system has ‘destroyed’ her life and made her homelessMaya Oppenheim Women’s Correspondent“Five or six police officers came to my flat last April,” Iris says.“I was really shocked so I didn’t open the door because I didn’t know what was going on. They broke my door.”The 35-year-old woman, […]
Media Storm presented by Mathilda Mallinson and Helena Wadia.Warning: Some strong language and references to sexOnline or offline, the stigma that comes with being a sex worker is pervasive. But sex work is not just stigmatised – it’s criminalised. Laws that ban certain aspects of sex work force workers into unsafe, unregulated environments, where they […]
Text Emma Garland ‘Your job isn’t empowering either’ Last night, the Women’s Strike took place on the streets of the UK for the first time in two years. Hundreds gathered in London’s Leicester Square – protestors, activists and members of trade unions like United Voices of the World (representing low-paid, migrant and precarious workers) and IWGB (founded by Latin American cleaners, […]
Sex work is a profession that is consistently under threat—workers are judged, shamed, harassed and criminalised. However, sex workers have had a particularly rough time of it during the COVID-19 pandemic. Unlike others who were able to continue to work remotely or granted furlough when the former was not a possibility, sex workers received no governmental support. […]
Niki Adams from the English Collective of Prostitutes tells me why the prostitution laws should be abolished, why the Scandinavian model is bad for sex workers, how mainstream feminist politicians are failing sex workers and what we can all do to offer support and be a good ally.Stream Episode 9 – for prostitutes, against prostitution […]
The English Collective of Prostitutes has highlighted 10 of the common responses members receive from police when reporting harassment and violence. The group says decriminalisation of sex work could mitigate the stigma.ANEZKA TUREKEnglish Collective of Prostitutes during a protest last year. Image: Juno Mac / SWARM“Who do you go to if police are part of […]
Sex workers say they see police ‘as a threat rather than a shield’Maya OppenheimWomen’s CorrespondentIreland’s decision to criminalise prostitution is “facilitating” harassment of sex workers and violent attacks against them, a scathing new report has found.Research carried out by Amnesty International warned legislation implemented in 2017 was driving sex workers to put their lives at risk in a desperate bid […]