Women’s equality in the UK – A health check

6.19
6.20
6.21
6.22
6.23
violence – 85% reporting sexual abuse in the family and domestic violence. 35 (See Article 12 and
General Recommendation 19)
Due to the hidden nature of prostitution and the increasing normalisation of the sex industry in
the UK, we do not feel able or that it is appropriate to cite statistics for the scale and extent of
involvement of women in prostitution in the UK.
However, we do provide some statistics concerning the abusive context of prostitution from
Eaves’ forthcoming report 36 of a sample (which is not claimed to be representative) of 117
women involved in prostitution – off-street, on-street and trafficked:
• 83% disclosed current or former problematic drug or alcohol use
• 79% suffered physical and or mental health problems
• 32% had entered prostitution before the age of 18 years and 72% had suffered childhood
violence
• 84% of the whole sample reported experiencing violence (physical, sexual or emotional).
The Home Office’s Review of Effective Practice in Responding to Prostitution, 37 cited in the
Government’s report, was welcome, and it was pleasing that the steering group incorporated
representatives of both prostitution as choice and prostitution as VAWG perspectives.
However it is disappointing that to date the Government has not followed CEDAW’s clear and
unequivocal position that prostitution is symbolic of inequality, exploitation and discrimination
against women and counter to women’s dignity and equality. 38
The lack of a clear position from the Government on the status of prostitution means that
there is no clear strategic direction in their policies. This results in fragmented and sometimes
contradictory responses. However, the predominant focus remains a criminal, policing and
immigration lens rather than one supporting women to have viable alternative lifestyles, nor
does it seek to effectively tackle demand. On the contrary, in the run up to the 2012 Olympics
police and Local Authorities launched a ‘crackdown’ on ‘anti-social behaviour’ in the Olympic
boroughs 39 which has resulted in huge increases in arrests and anti-social behaviour orders
against women involved in prostitution. 40
The ‘Engagement and Support’ order has useful potential to direct women into support
services 41 and to that extent is a welcome development. However, it still relies on an arrest.
Research commissioned by the Government to inform its own policy response 42 and other
research, has consistently highlighted that the criminalisation of women in prostitution can
result in distancing women from their sources of formal and informal support and can entrap
35. Women’s Health and Equality Consortium (2011) Why women’s health? WHEC: London http://www.whec.org.uk/wordpress/wp-content/
uploads/downloads/2011/11/WhyWomensHealth11.pdf
36. Eaves for women and London South bank University (2012) PE:ER Project Prostitution exiting: Engaging through research. (Funded by Big
Lottery) forthcoming
37. Home Office (2010) A Review of Effective Practice in Responding to Prostitution http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/crime/
responding-to-prostitution?view=Binary
38. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/
cedaw.htm Article 6 and General Recommendation No. 19 Violence against women (eleventh session, 1992) http://www.un.org/
womenwatch/daw/cedaw/recommendations/recomm.htm#recom19
39. BBC News (2012) ‘East London pre-Olympic arrests ‘worrying’’, BBC News London, 2nd April 2012 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/ukengland-london-17588665
also see Hall, R. (2012) ‘Sex workers feeling threatened by crackdown on prostitution near Olympic site’,
The Independent, 3rd April 2012 http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/sex-workers-feeling-threatened-by-crackdown-onprostitution-near-olympic-site-7609024.html
40. Furness, H (2012) ‘Prostitutes ‘cleaned off the streets ahead of the Olympics’, The Telegraph, 2nd April 2012 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
news/uknews/law-and-order/9180739/Prostitutes-cleaned-off-the-streets-ahead-of-the-Olympics.html
41. Rice, B. (2010) Independent evaluation of the Safe Exit Diversion Scheme. Accendo. London Toynbee Hall http://tinyurl.com/bsc8kpv
42. Hester, M. and Westmarland, N. (2004) Tackling Street Prostitution: Towards an holistic approach. Home Office research study 279. Home
Office: London http://dro.dur.ac.uk/2557/1/2557.pdf
56 Women’s equality in the UK: CEDAW shadow report 2013