Not for sale

We believe people were made for purpose, not purchase. Exploitation within the sex industry affects some of the most vulnerable in our society. As Christians, we are called to bring freedom and restoration to those who are oppressed and abused in the commercial sex trade. We are working for laws that will end the demand for exploitation and human trafficking, and help individuals to exit prostitution.

We want the Gov­ern­ment to:

1. Tackle demand for prostitution by:

  • Reviewing the laws on prostitution, particularly the operation of Section 14 of the Policing and Crime Act 2009, and their impact on demand for commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking.
  • Introducing legislation in England and Wales to make purchasing sex a criminal offence in all circumstances as in Northern Ireland.
  • Ensuring that policies around prostitution are designed to reduce the number of people entering prostitution and supporting people to exit rather than promoting a “harm-reduction” approach alone.

2. Support women to exit prostitution by:

  • Providing designated funding for specialist support services that assist people to exit prostitution.
Artem kovalev fk3 X Ucf T Avk unsplash
Prostitutes have rates of PTSD similar to that of war veterans
Michelle Kelly

Tack­ling demand

At its most fundamental level prostitution is driven by the demand of those, mostly men, who pay for sexual services. Tackling the demand for paid sexual services and addressing the market for prostitution is crucial to preventing the exploitation of vulnerable people.

Sweden, Norway, and Iceland have introduced laws to criminalise the purchase of sexual services, which they report to be effective in changing attitudes towards commercial sexual exploitation and reducing levels of prostitution and trafficking. More recently Canada, Northern Ireland and France have adopted this approach in 2014, 2015 and 2016 respectively. It has also been endorsed by the European Parliament and the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly

CARE is calling for a law which criminalises all purchase of sexual services without the need to prove coercion based on the successful Nordic approach. We believe that this is the only way to address effectively the demand for sexual services, which exploits the vulnerable and creates a market for trafficking.

Following the introduction of the Nordic model in Sweden in 1999, reports have shown that there has been a decrease in overall levels of prostitution, a reduction in on-street prostitution and a significant reduction in the numbers of men saying they have paid for sexual services, from 13.6% in 1996 to 7.5% in 2014.
CARE
Priscilla du preez a Tk J13pv Od8 unsplash
Although a small number of people say they have made a free choice to enter prostitution, for most it is a result of poverty, coercion, abuse or a lack of other options.

The harms of prostitution

  • Research has shown that 61% of women surveyed reported experiences of violence from buyers of sexual services. A comparative study of prostitution in nine countries with over 850 subjects found that 71% had been physically assaulted.
  • Some get involved in selling sexual services at a young age. Many have experienced abuse in childhood with Home Office data showing 45% report experience of sexual abuse and 85% physical abuse during their childhood. Many have spent time in local authority care.
  • Studies show that high numbers of women in prostitution have experienced coercion from a partner, pimp or relative and that incidents of violence are much higher than in the rest of society.
  • Drug and alcohol misuse is a problem for many. Numerous studies have found between 50% and 95% of women in street prostitution are addicted to Class A drugs. The links between prostitution and organised crime are also well established.
  • There is also a link between prostitution and trafficking for sexual exploitation. Whilst most people in prostitution have not been trafficked, many women and children are trafficked to provide sexual services. In the EU 69% of all trafficking victims identified have been trafficked for sexual exploitation. Research indicates that a large proportion of women in prostitution are migrants, many of whom have been trafficked or are vulnerable to exploitation.
Kat j 7 I1wrt Rz5 QQ unsplash
Home office data shows 45% of women in prostitution report experience of sexual abuse and 85% report physical abuse during their childhood.

Points to make

In your email to your MP, please use these suggested points:

  • Ask your MP to put pressure on the Government to review the laws on prostitution, particularly the operation of Section 14 of the Policing and Crime Act 2009, and their impact on demand for commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking.
  • Ask them to advocate for legislation in England and Wales to make purchasing sex a criminal offence in all circumstances as in Northern Ireland.
  • Mention the scale of harm involved in prostitution, outlined above.
  • Ask them to ensure that policies around prostitution are designed to reduce the number of people entering prostitution and supporting people to exit rather than promoting a “harm-reduction” approach alon
  • Ask them to ensure there is designated funding for specialist support services that assist people to exit prostitution.
Jordan sanchez u8t Zw GAH6w8 unsplash
You were made for purpose, not purchase.
Take Action

Write to your representative

Write to your MP to help protect women in prostitution and help them rebuild their lives

Filling in this form will direct you to an external service WriteToThem.com.

Rachel Moran
Rachel Moran Author of Paid For: My Journey Through Prostitution
Pros­ti­tu­tion has a ripple effect. It cre­ates the illus­ory view in the minds of men that women are not human beings as men are, but simply the walk­ing car­ri­er of a product…they are effort­lessly and imper­cept­ibly releg­ated from the realms of the human. They are not people on a par with their male counterparts.

Sign up for our weekly email to receive in-depth Christian commentary, recent news and prayer points for UK politics.

By signing up to stay in touch you agree to receive emails from CARE. You can change your mailing preferences at any time either by getting in touch with CARE, or through the links on any of our emails.

Culture
& society reflecting a better story for everyone.

At the heart of all of CARE’s work is our determination to uphold the truth that human beings made in God’s image are immensely valuable and deserve to be treated with dignity and compassion.

We want to show a better story for our culture and society, and we want to be part of shaping that in structures that we are given as citizens in the UK…

Find out more about the better story

Donate to Care

Your donation to CARE enables us to continue to work towards a culture and society reflecting a better story for everyone.

Donate now

How much do you want to donate?

£

How often?

Donations are securely processed.

CARE relies on your donations. It is the gifts that you give that enable us to campaign for the causes that matter, to equip MPs to speak for truth, and to engage with policy shapers to bring an informed and authentic Christian worldview.