English Collective of Prostitutes

12/09/2024

"Laura Watson, from the ECP, said that as an organisation, they also have to avoid certain interactions with s*x workers to ensure they do not break the law.

She said: “S*x workers can’t give advice and help to other s*x workers. And we as an organisation certainly can’t give safety advice because it would be seen as causing and inciting prostitution.

“So these are the main laws that we want to decriminalise and remove from legislation. All they do is criminalise you for being poor, and prevent you from working in a safe way.

“We want decriminalisation. To make s*x workers safer you have to remove the criminalisation so that you can’t be arrested, you’re not forced into isolation, you can come forward and report violence, you can work together for safety if you want to, you can leave if you want to.”

FULL STORY: https://www.itv.com/news/wales/2024-08-28/growing-number-of-women-turning-to-s*x-work-amid-colossal-rise-in-living-costs

12/09/2024

Parliamentary launch of PROCEED WITHOUT CAUTION: The Impact of “Prostitute's Cautions” and Convictions on S*x Workers’ Lives.

Organised by the English Collective of Prostitutes (ECP)
Hosted by Nadia Whittome MP
Tuesday 12th November, 18:00-20:00
House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA (Committee Room 10)

Plus UK launch of: “Exposed from All Sides: The Role of Policing in S*x Workers’ Access to Justice”. Report by the European S*x Workers’ Rights Alliance (ESWA) in collaboration with ECP.

Speakers:

Laura Watson (ECP) -- findings from Proceed Without Caution, a report documenting the lifelong impact on s*x workers of cautions and convictions.

Luca Stevenson (International Planned Parenthood Federation, formerly ESWA) -- policing and s*x workers’ access to justice.

Chiara Capraro (Amnesty International) -- decriminalisation of s*x work as a human rights issue.

Becky Ryan (Street Workers Collective Ireland) -- criminalisation of s*x workers.

Layla Omar (Women Against R**e) -- safety of s*x workers and opposing Islamophobia.

Sam Hanks (Swansea University and Safety First Wales) -- what Freedom of Information responses tell us about “prostitute’s cautions”.

Testimony from s*x workers.

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No need to register for this event. Please allow extra time to go through security.

https://prostitutescollective.net/event-parliamentary-launch-proceed-without-caution/

11/07/2024

If you're a Brighton and Hove resident, please sign and share this petition calling on Brighton and Hove City Council to take all possible action to prioritise the safety of s*x workers in the city, and to use whatever influence it has to push for decriminalisation nationally:

https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/decriminalise-s*x-work-and-prioritise-safety?clear_id=true

10/06/2024

GENERAL ELECTION 4 JULY

There is not much time before we vote in the general election. We have to act quickly!

Contact your prospective parliamentary candidates to ask for their support for the decriminalisation of s*x work and to address the cost-of-living crisis.

Enter your postcode to email our template letter here: https://prostitutescollective.eaction.org.uk/election2024

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Destitution policies like the two-child limit, benefit sanctions and the benefit cap have taken money out of women’s hands and caused a crisis of poverty among single mothers in particular, pushing many thousands into prostitution to make ends meet.

Politicians who claim to want to reduce prostitution must address rising hardship, homelessness and debt as well as the lack of pay equity, low wages and poor conditions in many other jobs – especially those traditionally done by women. They can find money for weapons which kill and maim but say there is no money for people’s survival.

The government causes women’s poverty, and then criminalises the consequences of it. Record numbers of women are facing raids, arrests, prosecution, deportation and even prison. Convictions or prostitute’s cautions stay on women’s records for life barring access to other jobs. Migrant, trans and women of colour are disproportionately targeted.

Criminalisation of s*x work undermines safety. S*x workers are prevented by law from working together and are deterred from reporting violence and exploitation by the fear of arrest.

In countries where clients are criminalised (the “Nordic Model), s*x workers report a rise in attacks and discrimination. Misinformation about trafficking has been used to justify increased police powers despite evidence that the police abuse the powers they already have.

New Zealand and more recently Belgium have decriminalised prostitution with verifiable improvements in s*x workers’ safety, health and well-being. Why not here?

Decriminalisation of s*x work is endorsed by prestigious organisations such as the Royal College of Nursing, Amnesty International, the World Health Organization, and many others.

09/01/2023

‘The people who are calling us are upset and scared. Women are frantically asking if we can provide food vouchers for food banks. One person hadn’t eaten properly for three days"

As women get more desperate for money, they end up having to take risks and see clients that they previously would’ve refused

09/01/2023

Police are refusing to act to protect two migrant women attacked by a landlord who accused them of being ‘prostitutes’ and said no one would believe their complaints. Once again, the label of “prostitute” is used to discredit women & devalue their lives.

The man accused two women renting his flat of being ‘prostitutes’ and said no one would believe their complaints

20/12/2022

Exclusive: ‘After the raid, a lot of the women didn’t want to return to the premises because they were so traumatised,’ s*x worker says as new information obtained under FOI laws emerges

20/12/2022

Changing the law on brothel keeping “could be the difference between life and death for women because they would be able to work more safely together from premises . . . but those of us that work on the street, who are most likely to face criminalisation and violence must not be forgotten”

Exclusive: Campaigner says changing law ‘could be the difference between life and death for women’

17/12/2022

This we honour and mourn s*x workers globally who have been victims of violence & murder. Today is also a day of resistance. We send our love and strength to all those fighting for justice, safety & protection from violence. “These tears are both a token and a vow of combat.”

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Today we protest the violence of criminalisation which undermines our efforts to work safely and organise for our rights.

We protest police and immigration violence and the way that anti-trafficking laws and policies are used to target those of us who are migrant for arrest and deportation.

We protest s*xism, racism, transphobia & other discrimination which mean that women of colour, migrant, trans women are the vast majority of s*x workers who lose their lives to violence.

We protest the violence of poverty: the cost-of-living crisis has shown that s*x work is an act of resistance against a deliberate government policy of destitution. See Hookers Against Hardship for our demands.

We protest the violence of being labelled “unfit mothers” and having our children taken away from us because of s*xism and other discrimination.

We demand decriminalisation and an end to poverty and stigma that makes us vulnerable to all kinds of violence and exploitation. This must be an urgent priority for the government here & everywhere before more precious lives are lost.

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On this International Day to End Violence Against S*x Workers, see ways you can support our campaigning work below.

#1 TAKE ACTION: Oppose increased police powers against s*x workers in Newham which will undermine safety https://prostitutescollective.net/oppose-pspo-newham/

#2 Sign & share our Hookers Against Hardship petition if you agree the government must decriminalise s*x work to protect s*x workers from danger. Follow Hookers Against Hardship for more info on the campaign & other ways to support https://www.change.org/p/protect-s*x-workers-from-harm-stop-criminalising-us-for-trying-to-make-a-living

#3 Ask organisations to endorse our petition to press the government to decriminalise s*x work and https://prostitutescollective.net/petition/

#4 Support our work to defend s*x workers’ rights by making a donation: https://prostitutescollective.net/donate-to-us/ and / or purchasing our books and t-shirts! https://prostitutescollective.net/shop/

12/12/2022

"S*x workers are ‘so frightened’ of the Metropolitan Police being given such increased powers because they fear they may abuse the new measures.

These are discretionary powers, so nobody will be monitoring how officers will be using them.

Especially as so much has come out about how s*xist and racist and misogynistic and abusive the police are. People are getting the point that it is the same police force.

It is not like there are two different police forces, one that puts r**e threats on WhatsApp and some other force that is policing s*x workers."

'Especially as so much has come out about how s*xist and racist and misogynistic and abusive the police are.'