Sex workers rights motion passed at NUS Women’s Conference
Passed at NUS Women’s Conference held 11 – 13 March 08
Motion No 7
Oppose The Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill – support sex Workers Rights
Submitted by: Huddersfield Technical College
Speech for: Huddersfield Technical College
Conference believes:
1. That the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill- Clause 72 which requires compulsory ‘rehabilitation’ for anyone arrested for loitering or soliciting as
a prostitute. Failure to attend results in a summons back to court and a possible 72-hours imprisonment. Magistrates would have powers to make subsequent orders so that women could end up on a treadmill of broken supervision meetings, court orders and imprisonment.
2. This clause purports to help women exit from prostitution but does not provide any alternative means of support- financial or otherwise.
3. Clause 72 will increase women’s vulnerability to rape and other violence. Women will be forced underground into more isolated and dangerous areas to avoid arrest and imprisonment. Criminalisation discourages women from coming forward to report violence and those who do report are often dismissed because of their occupation. Violent men are left able to attack again.
4. The Criminal Justice Bill is opposed by the Safety First Coalition, which includes the English Collective of Prostitutes, the International Union of Sex Workers, sex work projects and several Labour MPs.
Conference further believes:
1. That criminalisation of sex work in general only serves to drive prostitution underground and make sex workers more vulnerable to exploitation and violence.
2. That the best way to fight exploitation in the sex industry is to support sex workers organising to fight for their own rights.
3. That sex work is labour and that just as NUS women’s campaign supports other women workers and trade unions that the best way for us to support sex workers is to support their unions.
Conference resolves:
1. For the National Women’s Officer to sign the Safety First Petition against the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill, and support further actions by the campaign
2. To re-affirm last years’ support for the International Union of Sex Workers and the English Prostitutes Collective.
Amendment no: 1
Heading: Oppose the criminal justice & immigration Bill Support
Sex Workers Rights
Submitted by: Worcester College of Technology, Durham University
Add Amendment
Speech for: Worcester technical College
Speech against: Free
Speech for: Free
Speech against: Free
Summation: Worcester Technical College
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Conference further believes:
1. That on one hand, women working in prostitution currently have no access to legal working rights, legal safety rights, or even the ability to legitimately report violence against them. And that those same women are often in the position where they are vulnerable to being arrested, fined, convicted, and having their children taken from them. And that those same women also face massive safety risks in their work both in terms of location and the way in which their work is undertaken.
2. That on the other hand, envisaging a sex industry outside of the context of sexism is impossible. And that legalising prostitution sends a clear message to men that paying for sex is OK. And also that legalising prostitution changes the parameters for women in all areas of the see industry, and all women everywhere in potentially damaging ways. And that legalising prostitution changes the parameters within which we can struggle against ‘men’s sex rights’ and men’s objectification and commodification of women – with potentially disarming consequences to our campaign.
Conference resolves:
1. To conduct a Year of Debate on this issue amongst our movement – including things like debates, speakers events, attending events run by the ECP and the IUSW amongst others. The focus of our Year of Debate should be on bringing together sections of the feminist movement – many of whom have valid but contradictory opinions – to try and move the fight FOR sex workers rights forward, and at the same time to move the fight to CHALLENGE ‘men’s sex rights’ and objectification of women forward too.