Decriminalisation increases sex workers’ safety and well-being. New Zealand decriminalised sex work in 2003 with verifiable success. Over 90% of sex workers said they had additional employment, legal, health and safety rights. One important measure of this is that prior to decriminalisation 47% of brothel workers had refused to see a client in the previous 12 months, after decriminalisation 68% of brothel workers had done this. 70% said they were more likely to report incidents of violence to the police.
For more information see our briefing Why Decriminalisation? and report Decriminalisation of Prostitution: the Evidence.
By Frankie MullinAt midnight last night, sex workers waited, fingers crossed, breath held, as the Home Affairs Select Committee (HASC) report into prostitution went online. There was reason for apprehension: the inquiry’s initial terms of reference seemed geared towards recommending more criminalisation. During the inquiry itself, moral crusaders were given as much air time as […]
Nadia KhomamiHome affairs select committee wants law changed so sex workers are allowed to share premises while urging crackdown on those who exploit sex workersThe criminalisation of sex workers in England and Wales should come to an end, a cross-party committee of influential MPs has recommended.In an interim report published on Friday, the home affairs […]
1 July 2016 The English Collective of Prostitutes welcomes the report from the Home Affairs Select Committee (HASC) which recommends a change in the law “so that soliciting [a charge used against street-based sex workers] is no longer an offence and so that brothel-keeping provisions allow sex workers to share premises”. Crucially the Committee also […]
LettersLast week Amnesty International launched its global policy on sex work alongside new research which documents the severe human rights abuses suffered by sex workers (Amnesty in global programme to decriminalise sex work, theguardian.com, 26 May). Amnesty’s call on states to repeal laws that criminalise “the consensual exchange of sexual services between adults for remuneration” […]
The English Collective of Prostitutes welcomes Amnesty International’s new policy on sex work which calls on states to repeal laws that criminalise “the consensual exchange of sexual services between adults for remuneration” and provide resources so that those of us who want to leave prostitution can do so. Amnesty International’s press release is here. Spokeswoman, […]
Dear Friends, Another day, another election and another chance to make your views known and build support for the decriminalisation of sex work. On 5 May there are elections for: local councillors all over the UK; the Northern Ireland Assembly; the Welsh Assembly; the London Assembly; the Scottish Parliament; Police and Crime Commissioners and Mayors […]
According to some of the most prominent opponents of sex work decriminalisation, there are basically two types of women involved in selling sex: a small but vocal minority of self-described “sex workers” who entered the industry out of choice, and a much larger number of “prostituted women” who were coerced or forced by financial necessity.Anyone […]
Decriminalisation and sex workers Jeremy Corbyn’s stance on sex work (Report, 6 March) is in line with Amnesty International’s view that decriminalisation is “the best way to defend sex workers’ human rights and lessen the risk of abuse and violations they face”. We are currently fighting legal cases with women imprisoned for brothel-keeping for working […]
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 […]
The English Collective of Prostitutes was asked to comment in various media outlets on Jeremy Corbyn’s support for decriminalisation. We collated some of the media comments below.“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 […]