Sex-Trade Survivors Hold Major Event In Uk Parliament, Present New Evidence, Call For Sex-Buyers To Be Criminalised, Backed By Meryl Streep.
This Wednesday, twelve survivors of the sex trade from across eight countries will speak at a ground-breaking symposium to argue for an end to laws which punish prostituted people, increase services, and for sanctions to be placed upon those who buy sex.
The event, organised by NGO SPACE International and London based service provider Women at the Well, and hosted by MPs Fiona MacTaggart, Jess Phillips and Gavin Shuker, will present compelling evidence to show that decriminalisation of the entire sex trade in New Zealand has led to increase in prostitution and sex trafficking.
Speakers will explain from personal first-hand experience that far from offering women increased protection, the New Zealand model protects those who profit from the sex trade. Survivors from UK, Ireland, Germany, France, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and several US States will also share their experience contradicting the view that decriminalising the sex trade eliminates violence and harm.
Several other experts will also present evidence, including UK researchers, Swedish Law Enforcement and politicians and activists from Northern Ireland, Sweden and France, and also those involved in front-line service delivery in the UK and US. Notably, evidence will be presented showing that the Swedish law, which seeks to penalise those who buy sex rather than prostituted people, has seen the number of people who pay for sex in Sweden fall from 13.6% to 7.9% over a period of 12 years.
Multi-Academy Award winner and human rights activist Meryl Streep said:
“I stand in support of the aims of the Sex Trade Survivors Symposium, to be held in the British Parliament on Wednesday July 13th. Those attending will get to hear, for the first time, what formerly prostituted women from eight nations have to say about what they lived and witnessed in the global sex trade and what must be done to end it. It’s never been as urgent as it is today to dismantle the lies perpetrated by the sex trade profiteers: that decriminalisation of sex buying and pimping somehow benefits women and girls. The only ones who should be decriminalised and supported are those girls and women caught up in prostitution. The people who exploit them, for sexual access or financial gain, are the ones who should be deterred and punished.”
Rachel Moran, Executive Director of SPACE International, sex-trade survivor and author of bestselling memoir ‘Paid For’ said:
“For too long the prostitution debate has been distorted by well-resourced NGOs, grinding their ideological axes and drowning out the voices of sex trade survivors. Our event is an opportunity to put this right, giving those voices the respect they deserve by highlighting their desire to repeal laws which merely add to the suffering of prostituted people, and focusing instead on how to curb demand for paid sexual access to human bodies.”
A motion affirming the aims of the event and signed by senior MP’s has also been laid before Parliament: http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2016-17/296
See:
HERitage stall this Saturday 29th January at St Cuthbert's hall, Amble. Come along, see you there