What you can do

A Bill is currently going through parliament called the Criminal Justice & Immigration Bill. Previously some sections of this Bill covered the issue of prostitution, but these ammendments have now been dropped.

We must ensure that this doesn't mean the issue is dropped from the agenda.

We need to let our Government know that most people in this country want a world without prostitution. We need to create a buzz around this issue, because at the moment MPs are not seeing or hearing the strength of public opinion on this matter. Don't stay silent on this.

Why not email Lord Faulkner, who has raised the issue of this Bill in the House of Lords, and your MP and tell them that you want a world where nobody is for sale. Urge them to consider the Swedish approach to prostitution law reform, which has got to the heart of the matter by criminalising demand - the 'buyers' and decriminalising all those involved in prostitution. It is not a right to buy and sell others for sexual exploitation, this is in fact a human rights abuse. A modern society should stand up and say so, and make laws accordingly to criminalise those who attempt to buy and sell other human beings. Such legal changes must be alongside dedicated funds to provide exit, support and safety services for all those involved in prostitution.

This is very important. Time is of the essence. There will not be many windows like this where the issue is open to reform. We have to use this chance to let decision makers know that most people do not think prostitution is good for women or society, that we want real freedom for all, that we do not believe in a Britain where anybody has a price on their head simply because of their sex.

A model letter is now available and a Word version is available to download from our Documents section. You can cut and paste the text into an email, personalise it and send it to your MP via the Write To Them web site.

 
Lord Faulkner's email address is
faulknerro@parliament.uk

You could also contact Vernon Coaker Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Crime Reduction who is working on this issue
coakerv@parliament.uk

You can also contact Harriet Harman and thank her for all the work she has been doing on this. Harriet Harman has said publically that she supports a Swedish style law and that the only way forward it so criminalise demand. Email her to thank her for her work and urge her to continue at

harmanh@parliament.uk

If you are in a Trade Union or Student Union or Party Political Branch then put a motion to your branch to support the criminalisation of demand and an end to the buying and selling of women. You can also put in resolutions to your national conference.  

See the Q & A on prostitution myth and reality, produced by the Women's National Commission working group on sexual violence. This is really useful in arguments!