Prostitution is rising along with poverty in Britain. To protect women both the criminalisation of sex work and austerity must be reversed.English Collective of Prostitutes We welcome Jeremy Corbyn’s public statement in support of the decriminalisation of sex work. He, more than many, will have in mind the austerity cuts, 75% of which have targeted […]
From Socialist Fight No 19 – February/March 2015 By Niki Adams, English Collective of Prostitutes For years sex workers, burdened by stigma and discrimination, found it hard to speak and organise in our own name. This has started to change and a recent example shows how effective campaigns spearheaded by sex workers can be. In November last year, Fiona Mactaggart MP tried […]
Two experts debate whether cities should be able to have legalised prostitution zones Police in one British city are turning a blind eye to prostitutes after setting up a legalised red light district. And from today the controversial pilot scheme allowing kerb crawlers to look for sex between 7pm and 7am becomes a permanent fixture. […]
Decriminalisation would make sex workers safer By Niki Adams When sex workers from nine different countries get together, there’s always going to be a buzz. But invite them to the houses of parliament and ask them to tell politicians what needs to be done and it’ll turn into a roar. Nearly 200 people poured into a […]
The revolution is being led by sex workers themselves – and it’s comingSix years ago, the Sex Worker Open University (SWUO) laid out its aim – to advance UK sex worker rights by fighting its criminalisation. Run by current and former sex workers, it aims to bring together its diverse community, which includes escorts, rent boys, […]
By Alex Feis-Bryce After years of moralistic ideology prevailing over evidence, and policy being formed about, but not with, sex workers, the landmark decision by Amnesty International to support decriminalisation has brought a new sense of hope to the sex worker rights movement. This was on full display at the English Collective of Prostitutes’ (ECP) […]
“Unless we are aware of what we have in common as women and as workers, we tend to be complicit in the myth that social status equals human value. Our prejudices can reinforce the hierarchy of whose struggle is valid and central and whose is unworthy and marginal: who are “real” women and “real” workers […]
Spitalfields is the centre of a sensationalised industry built around Jack the Ripper, awash with tours, trinkets … and now a cynical new museum. But does this obscure the true social history of vibrant east London?In 1888, five women working as prostitutes were murdered in London’s East End. The violence of their deaths has been […]
The University of Sussex’s Centre for Gender Studies has formed an alliance with an association of sex workers and signed a pledge supporting the decriminalisation of the sex industry. This move comes amid debates about Amnesty International’s draft policy document supporting sex industry decriminalisation, which has set the organisation at loggerheads with a number of […]
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 […]