I was thirteen when I started working as a prostitute.. not one punter complained or refused due to my age Jo
75% of women involved in prostitution entered when they were children (Women's Resource Centre)
It tears me apart when programmes like Diary of a call girl etc are on TV. It devalues my experience, makes me feel less able to speak about the reality Angel
Up to 70% of women in prostitution spent time in care, 45% report sexual abuse and 85% physical abuse within their families (Home Office,2006)
More than half of UK women in prostitution have been raped and/or seriously sexually assaulted. At least three quarters have been physically assaulted (Home Office,2004)
If I pay £20 then you have to do whatever I want Male punter
65% of UK population believe paying for sexual services is an act which exploits women (ICM,2008)
the real choice in prostitution is up to the punter and whether he decides to be violent or not. But even if he doesn't, he is using and legitimising an industry which other men exploit to be abusive and cause harm Rebecca
Up to 95% of prostituted women are problematic drug users, including around 78% heroin users and rising numbers of crack cocaine addicts (Home Office, 2004)
You pay for the convenience, a bit like going to a public loo Male punter
9 out of 10 surveyed women in prostitution would like to exit prostitution but feel unable to do so (Farley et al, 2003)
I was expected to make up to £400 per day for the men[pimps]. I was not allowed to keep any of it Olena
Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Lithuania, Cambodia and South Korea have outlawed various forms of purchasing sexual acts. Numerous other countries are considering the introduction of simliar legislation
Latest News
- Bradford Murders - Take Action
- Bradford Murders - Press Release
- BREAKING NEWS: Victory as Act passes to criminalise the purchase of sex from a person who has been exploited.
- Double Victory as Bill is passed to tackle commercial sexual exploitation
- Press release: Victory as Peers vote for women, not pimps and punters
- Joint Statement on Clause 14 - a crucial step to end commercial sexual exploitation
- Launch of online petition to tackle demand for prostitution
- Photos of Demand Change! Launch
- Launch of Demand Change!
- Website Launch
BREAKING NEWS: Victory as Act passes to criminalise the purchase of sex from a person who has been exploited.
The Demand Change! Campaign is delighted to announce a major victory for women exploited by the sex industry, as Clause 14 (formerly 13) of the Policing & Crime Act was passed, putting the rights of exploited women over those of pimps and punters.
In focusing on the demand for sexual services, Clause 14 shifts criminal liability away from people exploited through prostitution and places responsibility firmly on the shoulders of those who contribute to commercial sexual exploitation by choosing to purchase girls, boys, women and men for sexual use.
This is a huge achievement for the 67 women’s and human rights organisations which supported this bill, and which campaigned tirelessly to obtain justice for the women, children and men who have for so long been exploited by the sex industry. Many of these organisations along with Demand Change! activists attended our successful mass support rally in Parliament Square just before the vote, calling on Peers to ‘Vote for Women, not Pimps and Punters!’.
A massive well done and thank you to all of you who wrote letters to MPs and Peers, who signed the joint statement of support, who protested outside the Houses of Parliament, who gave testimony and were part of or helped make the film of video testimony that was screened in the House of Commons on the eve of the debate (mentioned in the debate) and who have been working for years to raise awareness about the reality of prostitution and the need to tackle demand for commercial sexual exploitation.
Read the debate here (from page 61)
See photos of the protest here
Read press release here
Read Parliament media coverage here
This is a huge victory in the fight against commercial sexual exploitation.