WEP Women's Sex Based Rights Caucus centres women and girls and our experiences of violence against us because of our sex. That's why our Caucus has made abolishing prostitution a key strand of our work. We believe that every human being is born with a right to bodily integrity and dignity that can never be sold or given away. Therefore, we recognise that all prostitution is inherently violent.
We listen when women who have been prostituted tell us their stories, and we understand when they tell us of the trauma they have suffered and still suffer. So we will not submit to those who argue that the harm in prostitution can be 'reduced'.
It is the most vulnerable people in our society who become prostituted, and they are mostly women and girls. Many were forced into prostitution by abusive men, often while still children. Or they were driven to prostitution through poverty or addiction. Many are migrants or are otherwise marginalised by our society.
Much work has gone into reinforcing myths and embedding language that masks the reality of this trade. Myths around the nature of sex buyers are writ large in our culture. The Invisible Men is a new website quoting punters from the online 'trip advisor' style forums.
While it remains acceptable for men to buy female bodies in the UK, we can never achieve equality for women and girls.
We are proud that the Women's Equality Party advocates for the Nordic Model approach to prostitution. And we are proud to support our sisters in the campaign group, Nordic Model Now. The Nordic Model makes it illegal to buy people for sex, and stops criminalising those who sell sex, instead providing support for them to escape from prostitution.
Other approaches to controlling prostitution in the UK have failed, because they fail to address men's expectation to buy sex or to care for the people being abused. Please join us in pressing your MP to support The Sexual Exploitation Bill , which seeks to bring the Nordic Model to England and Wales.
The Bill passed its first reading on 9 December 2020. Its second reading is scheduled for 5 February 2021. This is a crucial opportunity to bring change to women's and girl's lives.
Your MP needs to know it's important to you.
Please write to your MP today, and ask your network to do the same. Our sisters at Nordic Model Now have written a short template letter for you to send to your MP, or to help you write your own. Please go to their website - https://nordicmodelnow.org/2020/12/30/ask-your-mp-to-support-women-and-vote-for- the-sexual-exploitation-bill/
Related blog: our Caucus submission (November 2020) to the Scottish Government
Public Consultation on Prostitution Policy