The English Collective of Prostitutes is holding a parliamentary launch of our report: “Proceed Without Caution: The Impact of “Prostitute's Cautions” and Convictions on Sex Workers’ Lives”.
PLUS: UK launch of “Exposed from All Sides: The Role of Policing in Sex Workers’ Access to Justice” by the European Sex Workers’ Rights Alliance (ESWA) in collaboration with ECP.
Hosted by Nadia Whittome MP
Tuesday 12th November, 18:00-20:00
Committee Room 10, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA.
Please enter your postcode below to invite your MP using our model letter.
There is an urgent need for them to be better informed about the injustices sex workers face and the urgent need for decriminalisation.
Poverty is increasing, especially among mothers, and this is driving the increase in prostitution. This government has already signalled that it intends to bring in more austerity cuts which will push more people into sex work.
Also, a number of Labour women MPs, some of whom now have ministerial positions, are focussed on increasing the criminalisation of sex work. One indication of this, is that before the election, a new clause to the Criminal Justice Bill was proposed to redefine prostitution as sexual exploitation. It would have automatically branded sex workers as victims of exploitation and anyone who associates with them as exploiters. Prosecutions of any collective working would have increased causing terrible injustice. Many MPs were confused by this clause and instead of asking sex workers what they thought they voted for it.
This is one of the issues we want to discuss. We urgently need to put the decriminalisation of sex work on the parliamentary agenda of this government. We also have to hold it to account for its poverty increasing policies that promote prostitution.