Sex workers face a lot of violence. Sex workers in London are 12 times more likely to be murdered than other women. It is much safer to work indoors with others but this is illegal.
Criminalisation increases violence. Attacks on sex workers doubled in Scotland after kerb crawling laws were introduced which criminalised clients. A 2014 survey found that where arrests of sex workers and clients were high, only 5% of sex workers who were victims of a crime reported it. This compared to 46% of victims in areas where police adopted a harm reduction approach.
Wednesday 17 December 20147pm (assemble 6.45pm) candlelit march — from Soho Square to St Anne’s Church.7.30pm Soho Trot by Ana Aranha. Documentary featuring powerful interviews and true testimonies from sex workers working independently in Soho flats who fought police raids and evictions, St Anne’s Church 55 Dean St. 8pm Speak Out featuring actors Rupert Everett […]
FILM SHOWING: TALES OF THE GRIM SLEEPER Director: Nick Broomfield (Ghosts and Battle for Haditha) 6.30pm, Curzon, Soho, 99 Shaftesbury Avenue, London W1D 5DY Tales of the Grim Sleeper is an investigation into a notorious serial killer who terrorized South Central Los Angeles over 25 years, the women he targeted, and the efforts of the […]
By Frankie Miren “Last year, my friend was attacked by a client and was nervous to keep working alone, so I let her work from my place along with me, for safety,” says Toni of the Sex Worker Open University. “Unfortunately, we encountered another aggressive client who really frightened us. I threatened to ring the […]
Dear friends We are strongly opposed to the proposal to criminalise the purchase of sexual services. We would be grateful if you would consider our briefing paper below about the Modern Slavery Bill. The Modern Slavery Bill will result in more violence against women because: – It will make sex work more dangerous as women […]
Speakers highlight two recent sex worker-led struggles: the historic victory in California of sex workers winning compensation for rape, and the protests against mass raids and closures of sex workers’ flats in the red-light area of Soho, London, England. Hear how trafficking is being used as a justification for a moralistic crusade against sex workers […]
The ECP submitted evidence to the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women, Rashida Manjoo during her two week investigative mission to the UK. The submission detailed the experience of women in the ECP network and highlighted a number of urgent issues, including: the high level of rape and violence against sex workers and the […]
Your support helped win this victory – thank you Two sex workers’ flats in Soho, central London were yesterday re-opened by a judge at Isleworth Crown Court. Judge JW Kingston rejected police evidence that women working in walk-up flats in Brewer Street were being controlled or incited into prostitution for gain. He overturned the closure […]
The tragic murder of Maria Duque-Tunjano last Friday shows the dangers of women working alone. Sex workers are prevented by the brothel-keeping laws from working together from premises and this deprives women of protection they are entitled to and have been able to organise for themselves. Working from premises is 10 times safer than working […]
*Paragraph that was edited out included in bold. Criminalising prostitution puts women at great riskRacism and xenophobia are also a problem for sex workers The article “Mariana Popa was killed working as a prostitute. Are the police to blame?”, News) is a turning point in getting senior officers such as Chris Armitt to admit that […]
Sex Workers are not humans? It is the 11th International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers today. During 2013, the police never stopped raiding the sex workers and the massage workers. For example, we received the complaints from the massage workers almost every week, telling us that the police checked the license 4-5 times a […]