Women in our network were glad to work in the zone as it meant they could work without fear of arrest. We think that this should count for something, but it doesn’t seem to be considered by those that are criticising the zone. It’s unfair to label the zone as an example of decriminalisation gone […]
Last night Sophie Walker, the leader of the Women’s Equality Party responded to a comment by a sex worker on twitter by calling her a “sex bot”. For Walker to disparage and dehumanise sex workers in that way is sickening. Is the Women’s Equality Party not for equality and respect for all women, whatever our […]
SWARM and ECP congratulate the three women who last week won in court the right not to reveal their criminal convictions for prostitution to prospective employers.The women have multiple convictions for soliciting or loitering under the Street Offences Act, and their records will be amended to filter out these convictions. The women in this landmark […]
SWARM and ECP are devastated by the death of Laura Lee. Laura was a major figure in the sex worker rights movement; a fearless campaigner, a loyal comrade and, to many of us, a dear friend. Our thoughts are with Laura’s family and, in particular, her daughter Cat. Laura’s loss is unspeakably sad. A sex worker […]
We send our support to the women today challenging the law that requires people to disclose criminal convictions for prostitution.Hundreds of women a year are criminalised under the prostitution laws.[1] Women of colour, migrant and trans women are most likely to be targeted. To decriminalise sex workers as this action demands would be in line […]
This year on 17 December we remember and commemorate the sex workers who have been killed across the globe in 2017, and the countless others whose names never made the headlines.Women and non-binary people across the world live under the constant threat of violence and, for sex workers, this is heightened by illegality and stigma.Since […]
On 20 November we remember and commemorate the 325 trans and gender-diverse people who have been reported murdered in the past 12 months globally.[1] Migrants and sex workers make up the majority of victims.Like other sex workers, trans sex workers go into sex work to survive. In the US for example, trans people are more […]
Joint Statement by SWARM, English Collective of Prostitutes and National Ugly MugsLess than two months ago, thousands of sex workers and concerned members of the public raised their alarm over the arrest and deportation of three Romanian sex workers in Swindon. This week, West Midlands Police raided a premises in Smethwick, shutting down the workplace […]
Ms Norman, the 70-year-old woman who was arrested because she stayed to try to save the life of a man who had collapsed in the brothel where she was working as a cleaner, was today found guilty of assisting in the management of a brothel.Cari Mitchell from the English Collective of Prostitutes, which has been supporting […]
Sex workers renting accommodation for a short period as part of a “tour” is nothing new but the increase in so called “pop-up brothels” is directly linked to police threatening women with prosecution and forcing women to move on all the time. So whilst the police complain about pop-up brothels and use them to lobby […]