Passed at NUS Women’s Conference held 11 – 13 March 08

 

 

Motion No 7

Oppose The Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill – support sex Workers Rights

 

Submitted by: Huddersfield Technical College

Speech for: Huddersfield Technical College

 

Conference believes:

1. That the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill- Clause 72 which requires compulsory ‘rehabilitation’ for anyone arrested for loitering or soliciting as

a prostitute. Failure to attend results in a summons back to court and a possible 72-hours imprisonment. Magistrates would have powers to make

subsequent orders so that women could end up on a treadmill of broken supervision meetings, court orders and imprisonment.

 

2. This clause purports to help women exit from prostitution but does not provide any alternative means of support- financial or otherwise.

 

3. Clause 72 will increase women’s vulnerability to rape and other violence. Women will be forced underground into more isolated and dangerous

areas to avoid arrest and imprisonment. Criminalisation discourages women from coming forward to report violence and those who do report

are often dismissed because of their occupation. Violent men are left able to attack again.

 

4. The Criminal Justice Bill is opposed by the Safety First Coalition, which includes the English Collective of Prostitutes, the International Union of

Sex Workers, sex work projects and several Labour MPs. 

 

Conference further believes:

1. That criminalisation of sex work in general only serves to drive prostitution underground and make sex workers more vulnerable to

exploitation and violence.

 

2. That the best way to fight exploitation in the sex industry is to support sex workers organising to fight for their own rights.

 

3. That sex work is labour and that just as NUS women’s campaign supports other women workers and trade unions that the best way for

us to support sex workers is to support their unions.

 

Conference resolves:

1. For the National Women’s Officer to sign the Safety First Petition against the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill, and support further

actions by the campaign

 

2. To re-affirm last years’ support for the International Union of Sex Workers and the English Prostitutes Collective.

 

Amendment no: 1

Heading: Oppose the criminal justice & immigration Bill Support

Sex Workers Rights

Submitted by: Worcester College of Technology, Durham University

Add Amendment

Speech for: Worcester technical College

Speech against: Free

Speech for: Free

Speech against: Free

Summation: Worcester Technical College

42

Conference further believes:

1. That on one hand, women working in prostitution currently have no access to legal working rights, legal safety rights, or even the ability to

legitimately report violence against them. And that those same women are often in the position where they are vulnerable to being arrested, fined,

convicted, and having their children taken from them. And that those same women also face massive safety risks in their work both in terms of

location and the way in which their work is undertaken.

 

2. That on the other hand, envisaging a sex industry outside of the context of sexism is impossible. And that legalising prostitution sends a clear

message to men that paying for sex is OK. And also that legalising prostitution changes the parameters for women in all areas of the sex

industry, and all women everywhere in potentially damaging ways. And that legalising prostitution changes the parameters within which we can

struggle against ‘men’s sex rights’ and men’s objectification and commodification of women – with potentially disarming consequences to our campaign.

 

Conference resolves:

1. To conduct a Year of Debate on this issue amongst our movement – including things like debates, speakers events, attending events run by the ECP and the IUSW amongst others. The focus of our Year of Debate should be on bringing together sections of the feminist movement – many of whom have valid but contradictory opinions – to try and move the fight FOR sex workers rights forward, and at the same time to move the fight to CHALLENGE ‘men’s sex rights’ and objectification of women forward too.