Women and Children on Demand Symposium Notes of Proceedings

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Welcome from Val Shawcross

Introduction: the need for cross border cooperation (Mary Honeyball MEP)

Highlight the international aspect to trafficking. How we can deal with trafficking as a cross-border crime.

Intend to produce written declaration to European Parliament, to make member states that do not take the issue seriously to do so.

Also putting pressure on UK government to ratify Europe Council Convention against Trafficking. Jackie Smith says she will do this by 2008.

Trafficking is huge international crime. Run by gangs and criminals, making it very difficult to deal with.

85% of prostitutes in this country come from abroad. Often women who have been trafficked from outside the UK. Ten years ago, 85% of prostitutes were from the UK. We have seen huge increase in trafficking and huge influx of foreign women into this country. Need to take strong measures to stop that happening.

Metropolitan police has set up Operation Pentameter, which is in its second phase, which works to deal with trafficking in London

Also, 4 million pounds of government money going into the Poppy Project which goes to helping women who want to escape prostitution.

Need to take this into its international dimension.

Julie Bindel, The Poppy Project: Demand, Deterrents and Delusions—What will stop men from buying sex?

Context of how feminists in the UK have tried to tackle demand for prostitution, not just for trafficking.

Problem about men being able to get away with doing negative things to women and children. Argument either said let us HELP men because they cannot help to do these things, or that this is a woman’s problem as well and that they also do these things.

Have only really had campaign to tackle demand in this country for about 12 years. Brighton week long conference was organized, devoting two days to prostitution and sex industry. Never publicly before been defined as violence against women and children. Here, refused to allow false distinction between forced prostitution and that which is supposedly “chosen”. Perhaps it is particularly difficult for trafficked women, but for women who are UK born and go into prostitution it is still horrific.

Organised conference called prostitution—violence against women and children. Most denied this was the case, that just trafficking was bad.

Sweden came along and said that demand should be tackled.

Initially, set up reeducation program for men. But it does not really work—must introduce law and then educate them. Men were not interested in hearing from woman who had been pimped. Where there were criminal sanctions, they listened more closely because there was more to lose.

Poppy Project: set up intensive interviews with men in San Francisco, a study of men who pay for sex. UNPUBLISHED RESEARCH.

If you talk to men about what it would mean to get arrested if paid for sex, they would be deterred from paying from sex. That is what majority of the men said during these interviews.

If we were to decriminalize selling sex and to criminalize buying it, we would need to supplement with educational program. There will be less hostility to a law such as this than you think, and it will deter the men.

Men in interviews said they started paying for sex because of peer pressure, it was a bit of fun, or fathers took them to initiate them on 16th birthday. Some men bonded through paying for sex, did it to be able to talk about it afterwards. Some men highly ambivalent about it, did not particularly enjoy it but did it anyway. Vast majority of men said that LEGALIZATION was the answer. Said the women did not come from abused backgrounds, did not think they were trafficked. Attitudes were those who had bought into sexist mythology about women. Believed myths about prostitution being oldest profession that we can never end, and that the women enjoy it.

Have educated generations of men and women that prostitution is inevitable and that legalization is the answer. Not ok to use “free range” women in prostitution because they are all abused. Must start by TACKLING DEMAND or we will fail.

Reducing the Demand: Gunilla Ekberg – Stop the Traffic Coalition

Has worked advising Swedish government on these issues

Will talk about political vision and principles in order to do something about demand. What was done in Sweden to pass this legislation and what has been done since to prevent/combat prostitution and trafficking. Sweden does not separate between prostitution and trafficking. Every trafficker has intention of exploiting victim, usually through prostitution. Pimps often traffic women between cities in a country. Goes on in local prostitution markets where we live. There is no difference between the two, are linked.

To find solution to prevent and combat trafficking, must think of what kind of society we want to live in. what kind of idea of the future, of a society we think is more equitable, do we have? Must look at the reality of the situation.

Can say prostitution is inevitable because men need it or want it, or because women want to do it, or because prostitution has always existed. But if you do that, the context and dream you have is that women should continue in the prostitution industry, and you aid pimps and traffickers to increase profits. If you support ideas you put tolerance zones in place giving easy access for men to exploit women. You develop safer street measures, or license women as sex workers. Such initiatives are atrocious for the women and the society at large, because if you say women are purchasable then you have normalized the idea that all women and girls are sexual objects who should and could be bought and exploited.

OR, you can reject idea that women, men and children should be used as commodities that are bought and sold. If you want to create a society that is equal, where prostitution is seen as incompatible with dignity of humans and the equal rights of men and women, focus on measures that PREVENT women, girls, and boys from becoming victims of prostitution and trafficking. Measures that change socio-economic situation of those who are potential victims. The UK has a responsibility because it is men in this country who buy and exploit them. So you PASS LAWS that prohibits the purchase of a sexual service here, and include measures in development policies that assist women and girls in the countries of origin. Important to change a culture from one of prostitution to one where we say, and act so that no one is for sale.

Women who have been in prostitution say that the buyers are the criminals. In Sweden, began to discuss these issues and saw it as form of extreme sexual violence by men who profit economically and in other ways by keeping women down.

This is gender-specific crime. Majority of victims are female women and girls. There are some boys and men, but the purchasers and buyers are always men.

This is a barrier to gender equality. If a e.g. male work colleague purchase some one for use through an escort service, there are consequences in the attitudes they have towards all women.

It is harmful to the women and children who are used in prostitution, but also to society as a whole who see women and children as objects to be exploited.

In 1920’s, those who worked to abolish prostitution understood that the problem is the men who purchase. First article in Swedish newspaper in 1880’s already about this. Worked to criminalize men and see to that men were sanctioned for this.

See this as male violence, because of three things:

Who is in prostitution? Where do the women come from? The women in prostitution are women and girls from already oppressed backgrounds, from poverty backgrounds, victims of prior sexual assault, physical violence, and oppression from men.

What is the reality of prostitution—what happens to women? Those who defined prostitution as work or as a choice glide over this question because it is clear that this is not “fun”. They will say that prostitution is violent because the men can beat them up or murder them, but that can be changed if we put them in brothels. But women in prostitution say the most violent thing is the actual prostitution act. Wake up knowing you have a day ahead of you with many men who will touch you and tell you what to do with him, what you have to say to him, etc. He can do this just because he pays e.g. 20 euros to do whatever he wants to with these women. That is the reality of prostitution. Don’t think that men are gentle; this is a sophisticated form of violence towards women. Yes there are women who say that prostitution is something they would like to do, that they are ok and that sometimes they like it, but prostitution industry is most violent place a female can be. Statistics from Canada from 1985 shows that rate of murder of women in prostitution is 40 times higher than women in general in society. This is the reality of women no matter where they are prostituted (street, brothel, etc.)

Link between prostitution and trafficking. Pimps have always trafficked women. In 19 th century trafficked from Eastern Europe to Latin America and so on. To be able to traffic you need someone who requests the commodity you are trying to sell. So focus must be on the demand in order to work against this. Buyers constantly want new women, their wishes change constantly, wants new and different women who they can control more easily, and the traffickers provide. Part of the Swedish policies and principles is that we oppose all policies that legalize prostitution or deregulate the industry. If you decriminalize the players in the prostitution industry and think that buyers are customers and women are agent, you are very wrong. Reality of legalization is very different.

SWEDISH LEGISLATION: came through because Swedish government followed proposal of women’s movement and said it was important political decision to make. Can not let this be put aside. Women and children in prostitution have the same rights to live lives without violence in any form. This is a vital political decision, not just based on results ( which are depending on will to implement). Now we have the beginning of a change in culture.

The law is very simple. Says that anyone who pays for sexual service shall be sanctioned by fine or imprisonment for at most six months. Now, we are hoping to get this up to a one year sentence because it is important to have sanctions that actually fit the crime and its harms.

The law is applicable anywhere—indoor brothels, escort services, etc. all is criminalized. ATTEMPTS are criminalized. Want to stop this before men actually use women. That is the role of the police to ensure that stop it before.

Law is in the criminal code now, under chapter 6 which is chapter on sexual crimes. Don’t put it under human trafficking legislation but under criminal law, so it applies to all forms of purchases.

When you do a law like this, most important thing is to do education with those who implement it. Sweden did that from beginning—trained police and prosecutors. The problem is the judges. Didn’t think they needed to be trained because they take neutral and objective stand. Initially, great difficulties with criminal sanctions with judges taking it seriously that this is male violence. Now they are being educated through the courts through the prosecutors and the buyers. Put buyers and pimps in court together, charge them together, which leads to higher sentences for traffickers and pimps, and this educates judges that there are criminals involved here that aren’t pimps and traffickers, and it educates the men because these campaigns won’t work without sanctions.

Must monitor effects and create an independent function that gives recommendations to government and NGOs about what should be bettered. Sweden has a National Rapporteur on Trafficking in Human Beings, who does have this, with annual reports describing effects of laws and policies on trafficking and prostitution in Sweden. Very clear from these reports that this law functions as a barrier for traffickers to establish themselves in Sweden. Have lowest numbers of victims of trafficking in Europe. Pimps and traffickers want to make money, so when they look around and see the difficulties in Sweden; they realize it is not best to sell their commodities here. Will instead say bring the women somewhere else where it is not as complicated as it is in Sweden. Can’t put woman on street and expect her to make money for you in Sweden. Police will pick her up, propose contact w services and arrest those who are buyers.

Internet is not as difficult place to investigate crimes of prostitution and trafficking as supposed. Police can track down emails between pimps and buyers. Courts have decided that a communication through email to a pimp to purchase someone is evidence of crime to purchase sexual service.

Pimps/traffickers need to transport women to buyers, rent apartment, and find buyers not just through internet. It is very difficult and expensive, so they would rather go somewhere where it is cheaper and easier to make a profit.

Now, judges have started to listen to prosecutor, and Sweden is starting to see more than fines as sentences. Some buyers have received suspended sentences for purchase of a sexual service – i.e if they commit crime w/i 2 years, they be sentenced to prison. 1700 men have been arrested and 2/3 convicted or pleaded guilty.

Prosecutors at work on these prostitution cases always say that these men don’t care at all about these women that they just go there to use them.

2002 campaign against trafficking in women in Sweden. Did big poster campaign to show who is the cause of trafficking and prostitution. Pictures of men who look like regular guys, married with regular jobs. Other poster said 1 man in 8 has purchased sex. Most posters in prostitution campaigns have women on it, but she wanted to show the men who are the criminals. Posters say it is a crime to buy sex. Got tons of emails of praise for this campaign, brought public discussion in Sweden in 2002 of the demand and who the buyers are and what ought to be done with them.

Important when you enact this law to ensure that this legislation also applies to British men who travel outside of the country. Swedish law applies to peacekeepers stationed abroad that purchase sex. They are brought back to Sweden, fired from military job, and charged under this legislation. Should do something about men from UK going to brothels in other cities, traveling to purchase women in other countries.

Some points when doing this legislation:

Political vision, political priority. Need government that prioritizes the abolition of prostitution. Need to put a lot of money into it when you start doing this.

Need public debate and public consciousness raising, like the poster campaign.

Need to educate law enforcement agencies about root causes of prostitution, about the demand, about unacceptability of idea that men have the right to purchase services from someone at their will.

Must emphasize implementation of arrest of men. Must get men who purchase women, men in indoor as well as in street prostitution.

When Swedish legislation passed, those who were most against it were those people who were pro-prostitution; and the prosecutors and police, who wondered how they were going to implement this, and also thought these were adults they can do what they want. That was why education was so important, so they realize that there is no reason to criminalize the women, and saw the importance of criminalize the buyers.

Need to investigate local prostitution industry to see who owns and run activities here in the UK. Who is making money through this industry? Need to prosecute those who run the industry. Stop licensing lap-dancing clubs and nightclubs that have prostitution related activity. Investigate every license that you have ever given.

Have to ensure that those in prostitution have easy access to exit programs, which must be well-funded and run by groups who have a feminist understanding of male violence. These should not just be short-term programs but must be connected with employment, education, and counseling programs. Might take years for women to finally exit the industry and we must support that. No harm reduction measures.

In Holland, when there was legalization measure passed, there was nothing put out for women who wanted to leave prostitution. This is breach of the women’s rights and discriminatory.

Have to put into place attitude changes for those men who purchase. Sweden has program for men who do this. They are not therapy groups, but places where men have to take responsibility for the behavior and change it.

Police and prosecutors who were so anxious to do this came around to recognize that this legislation is a good thing, the first time these women have ever really been concerned, and that buyers really are the ones doing harm.

Don’t believe those that support the prostitution industry and who say that it is a choice. Instead recognize this as horrific crime committed against women and recognize that perpetrators must be prosecuted.

Question and Answer Session Regarding Part I

Q1: Dr. Aparanti – Deputy Commissioner of Mumbai Police, India. Looked after anti-trafficking unit for years. Various lobbies exist for decriminalization or legalization of prostitution who have been putting lots of pressure. In countries where prostitution has been legalized, do they not violate UN convention? If they do violate this, then the intl. community can put pressure on them. Can that kind of pressure not come onto these countries so they recognize decriminalization is a crime?

Gunilla: Have been a change in our favour the past 10 years. Unfortunately, in many of the intl. contexts there are many lobbyists for prostitution industry. They want to get their ideas spread so that it can be normalized in countries. Yes of course it violates international agreements. India signed and ratified the 1949 convention on the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of which , says you are not allowed to have brothels and must close ones that are there, and cannot violate any part of this. India would be breeching this convention by legalizing prostitution. Article 6 in CEDAW convention says that countries MUST do whatever they can to eliminate prostitution and trafficking of women. Based in debate which came out of international thinking that prostitution is actually a form of sexual slavery, or as it says in 1949 convention, incompatible with the dignity and worth of the human person . Would be delighted if India passed law that prohibits purchase of sexual services and stuck to principles in 1949 convention. Sweden is not only country that has this legislation. Dec. 16—South Africa passed similar legislation in sexual offenders act. Put it in sexual offenders act which was amended because of problems of men using sexual violence against women in S. Africa. S. Korea, Lithuani have this legislation and Norway is committed to pass legislation in 2008. Debate is going on all over the place. Within ten years she thinks almost all countries will have this. Functions as barrier against trafficking.

Q2: Councillor Lisa Homan. London Borough of Hammersmith In Sweden, have any women who were pro-legalization changed their attitude since the legislation? Also, legislation is good idea but there is a lot that needs to go behind it that will need to come from local authorities, and they wouldn’t be ready for that at all. Could do a lot with licensing but background things would be interesting.

Gunilla: No, have not changed their mind.

Gunilla: As for information, go back to political vision. If you can get yourself together and develop a joint political vision of where you want to take things and see prostitution as form of male violence and see it is unacceptable to purchase sex. When you buy in services e.g. hotel rooms for traveling staff, on a local and on government level ensure that they do not show pornography. Pass code of conducts with sanctions: E.g. if someone who is employed by the local council purchase someone for sexual purposes, who can sanction him. Many things you can do to change the norms. Lots will end up on city council level, but it is government who should help fund some of these things. This is a societal change in policy. In Sweden local city councils are independent so gov’t can’t just say “do this” but they can transfer money, pass legislation and/or have normative discussions to change things. Information without sanctions doesn’t really help—men will just go to a different place to purchase women. This law levels out differences between men in high places and in different social classes e.g. four judges who have been convicted under this legislation in Sweden, several business men etc. Can also ensure that people who surf porn sites at work are sanctioned—this is sexual harassment. Must be creative.

Q3: Turning point outreach worker, Tajamal Shah. Concern is that he comes from place in Pakistan where there are still a lot of women for sale. Thinks that if you cut supply off here where will they end up? Maybe in oil rich countries. Lots of this is cop out in the west, should be tackling problem where suppliers are coming from, maybe helping out in Pakistan and poorer countries so that these people wouldn’t be pushed into this.

Gunilla: must do something in country because men here are responsible, but also have put quite a lot of money into development aid policies where they have directed that money to specifically women and girls who are at risk of being trafficked. Not doing campaigns to say “just be careful”, but to build up socio-economic programs that are sustainable. Have responsibility to do that because women wouldn’t end up here if there wasn’t a market in e.g. UK. Have been discussions among women’s organizations in Pakistan to talk about the demand there. Not just trafficked outside but purchased there as well. In Gunilla’s organization they work in the Middle East and in some of the serious destination countries to try and change attitudes there as well—but it takes time.

RESPONSE: if women are being kept as livestock and sold, if we don’t sort problem out from where it is coming from, where women are being exploited, it will be taken elsewhere. Instead of women ending up in Sweden or London they end up in Karachi.

But we do that—we are working in other countries to stop people buying women there as well.

Must hit governments in that country to take action

In all of these states, change doesn’t happen immediately, but when we talk about kind of world we want to have and condemn places where women can be bought and sold then we see change, but it is difficult. More and more men will purchase women locally. Even though these countries are in such high risk states, they can still push to enact these laws against demand.

Q4: Jill Maddison from Family Justice Croydon Council. How did you ensure funding was provided for exit programs? Saw funding diverted away from these programs.

Question and Answer Session Regarding Part I

Q1: Dr. Aparanti – Deputy Commissioner of Mumbai Police, India. Looked after anti-trafficking unit for years. Various lobbies exist for decriminalization or legalization of prostitution who have been putting lots of pressure. In countries where prostitution has been legalized, do they not violate UN convention? If they do violate this, then the intl. community can put pressure on them. Can that kind of pressure not come onto these countries so they recognize decriminalization is a crime?

Gunilla: have moved on to front row trying to pressurize UN that legalization is unacceptable. But many of the intl. contexts have many lobbyists for prostitution industry. They want to get their ideas spread so that it can be normalized in countries. Yes of course it violates international agreements. India signed 1949 convention on trafficking, says you are not allowed to have brothels and must close ones that are there, and cannot violate any part of this. India would be breeching this convention by legalizing prostitution. Article 6 says in 1949 convention that countries MUST do whatever they can to eliminate prostitution and trafficking of women. Based in debate which came out of international thinking that prostitution is actually a form of sexual slavery, or as it says in 1949 convention, against integrity of women and dignity of the person. Problem with places like Holland that have legalized is that they go around and help countries that want to legalize as well, giving advice and so forth. Would be delighted if India passed law that prohibits purchase of sexual services and stuck to 1949 convention. Sweden is not only country that has this legislation. Dec. 16—South Africa passed similar legislation in sexual offenders act. Put it in sexual offenders act which was amended because of problems of men using sexual violence against women in S. Africa. S. Korea, Lithuania, Norway have this legislation. Debate is going on all over the place. Within ten years she thinks almost all countries will have this. Functions as barrier against trafficking.

Q2: Councillor Lisa Homan. London Borough of Hammersmith In Sweden, have any women who were pro-legalization changed their attitude since the legislation? Also, legislation is good idea but there is a lot that needs to go behind it that will need to come from local authorities, and they wouldn’t be ready for that at all. Could do a lot with licensing but background things would be interesting.

Gunilla: have not changed their mind.

Gunilla: As for information, go back to political vision. If you can get yourself together and have joint political vision of where you want to take things and see prostitution as form of male violence and see it is unacceptable to purchase sex. When we purchase on local and on government level to be able to use hotels in different places, won’t use ones where there is pornography. If someone who is a judge or city worker is found to use prostitution they will be fired. Many things you can do to change the norms. Lots will end up on city council level, but it is government who should help fund some of these things. This is a societal change in policy. Sweden has various independent councils so they can’t say “do this” but they can give money and have normative discussions to change things. Information without sanction doesn’t really help—men will just go to a different place to purchase women so it isn’t so shameful. There are four judges who have been convicted under this legislation in Sweden. This law levels out men in high places and in different social classes, showing that they won’t back off just because people are judges or something. These employment policies are very useful. Can also ensure that people who surf porn sites at work are sanctioned—this is sexual harassment. Must be creative.

Q3: Turning point outreach worker. Concern is that he comes from place in Pakistan where there are still a lot of women for sale. Thinks that if you cut supply off here where will they end up? Maybe in oil rich countries. Lots of this is cop out in the west, should be tackling problem where suppliers are coming from, maybe helping out in Pakistan and poorer countries so that these people wouldn’t be pushed into this.

Gunilla: must do something in country because men here are responsible, but also have put quite a lot of money into development aid policies where they have directed that money to specifically women and girls who are at risk of being trafficked. Not doing campaigns to say be careful, but to build up socio-economic programs that are sustainable. Have responsibility to do that because women wouldn’t end up here if we were not doing what we were doing. Have been discussions among women’s organizations in Pakistan to talk about the demand there. Not just trafficked outside but purchased there as well. In Gunilla’s organization they work in the Middle East and in some of the serious destination countries to try and change attitudes there as well—but it takes time.

RESPONSE: if women are being kept as livestock and sold, if we don’t sort problem out from where it is coming from, where women are being exploited, it will be taken elsewhere. Instead of women ending up in Sweden or London they end up in Karachi.

But we do that—we are working in other countries to stop people buying women there as well.

Must hit governments in that country to take action

In all of these states, change doesn’t happen immediately, but when we talk about kind of world we want to have and condemn places where women can be bought and sold then we see change, but it is difficult. More and more men will purchase women locally. Even though these countries are in such high risk states, they will still push to enact these laws against demand.

Q4: Jill Maddison from Family Justice Croydon Council. How did you ensure funding was provided for exit programs? Saw funding diverted away from these programs.

Gunilla: all about politicians taking their role seriously. If you want to make the work a political priority, then those who are sitting with the money have to ensure and must be pressured. Had election where they said you must have many women in the parliament. Must be whole package deal, saying this is political priority which must follow with money.

Esohe Aghatise from Iroko Italy: Victim Support

Victim support and its impact on trafficking.

Definitions of Trafficking: Article 3 of Protocol on Trafficking in 2000 gives detailed definition. One that interests us most is question of trafficking for sexual exploitation. No country in world not affected by this, and it is getting bigger. Those mostly affected are women and children. When talking about trafficking usually mean for sexual exploitation and demand for sexual services. Talking about poverty, women being poor, general unfair economic and unfair financial division of resources in the world.

Four main points on which we base the types of victim support:

The issue of physical and psychological impact on women themselves and on society in general. In giving support to victims/survivors of trafficking, must take into consideration what women go through. Four factors:

• Address demand for prostitution. Includes the question of gender equality.
• Putting efficient victim support services.
• Question of networking between countries and organizations, importance of this and them working directly with victims.
• Addressing economic conditions which make women and children vulnerable.

POINT TWO: Efficient victim support.

Works directly with victims in Italy and Nigeria. In past 10-12 years, the situation has changed greatly because of kind of impact that policies taken by Italian government have had on trafficking through support given to victims. EXAMPLE is article 18. Question of trafficking in Italy started at end of 80’s and into early 90’s, first group of women being brought into Europe and exploiting prosecution industry.

Based on her work with victims, noticed that when socio-economic conditions of women in any given group are good, find less women willing to go into prostitution. When we talk about women “choosing”, it is hard to say someone made a choice when they didn’t really have any other alternative. Not a question of choice but a question of survival. No woman says she went into prostitution because she likes it, but because it is a survival measure.

At end of 80’s and 90’s, many brought in under false promises. Towards middle of 90’s, Italian government passed law which allowed a three month period where they are entitled to residence permit and can stay to help police in investigative work. This turned out to be of little use because very few were prepared to come forward to help police. So, article 18 of Immigration Law called Social Incession Program which allows victims of trafficking to obtain support from organizations and government. Gov puts in money to fund programs for victim support each year.

Allows for award of residence permits to victims of trafficking which can then be changed to regular permit once she gets work. There is also question of language training.

Direct effect of this system is that many victims started coming forward to the police. With 1998 law, not have more than 80% of women who are trafficked coming in to report their situation. Has changed kind of trafficking and way it is carried out in Italy.

Question of psychological support for victims—set up psychological support units and also cultural assistance. Many women have been brought in from Africa (Nigeria), over 60% of women trafficked into Italy are of Nigerian origin. Over 80% of them come from same ethnic group. Reason is that it has to do with relations, people are directly involved members of family, parents, friends, and so you get people coming from same area. It is a chain system.

Cultural aspect of trafficked women. Traditional voodoo rites are used as modes to keep women in prostitution. Have kind of horizontal system where small groups of people are involved in process, not like hierarchical system in Eastern Europe that is similar to mafia-based system. Giving support to women must take this into account.

Victim compensation: In 2003, another law passed directly on question of trafficking in Italy. Before those who trafficked were tried on that criminal code, but sentence was very low with max of two years, and usually they didn’t spend any time in jail. This new 2003 law now gave sentences a minimum of 8 years imprisonment and maximum of 20 years. Helped bring more women to report and get support to escape.

POINT 3: In giving support to victims, must look at problem of trafficking on a global basis. If we want to address question of trafficking, cannot be viewed from narrow access, not just one country. Something that involves many countries, crossing borders, from developing to developed countries. Traffickers are always one step ahead of government in exchanging data, in collaborating to traffic. Find that trafficking groups are changing. When traffickers find country is no longer convenient they move to other countries. Same thing is happening in Italy. When women come forward to support to police, find some traffickers in eastern countries coming to agreement with women to say when they go to prostitution they can keep 30% so that they will stay in trafficking—but many still remain. In other situations, the process is changing. They are being moved into other European countries where traffickers thing it is easier/safer to traffic in these countries. To Spain, Holland, Germany. More and more being left in UK because it is regarded as attractive place to exploit trafficked women.

Need to train judicial workers who are going to handle the cases involving traffickers. In general, kind of bias against women in prostitution where they say they chose to be there so don’t see why there should be any kind of special treatment given to them. Even for trafficked women, they are still seen as prostitutes and so there is no tender attitude of protection for them.

One of the main problems is women having to give evidence in court, having to come face to face with their traffickers. Now, women are not obliged to sit near traffickers. When women have to give evidence, they can come into court from different entrance, and have a shield in front where trafficker and woman can’t see each other.

Problem is that traffickers will go to families at home and put pressure on them to retract report. Country of destination and country of origin where they can collaborate to fight this.

Italian and Nigerian police exchanged info on how to recognize false passports.

How to put pressure on different countries to make sure they fight trafficking. Each year US government publishes report on countries that have provided support in different levels. Tier 1 countries are taking action to fight prostitution, providing victim support. Tier 2 is those who do some action but it is not sufficient. Tier 3 is those who don’t do anything. These are some important instruments in fighting trafficking.

Really big impact based on social and economic conditions in different countries. This is affecting families, find new programs coming in; women’s bodies are often presented as commodities, as objects. If you have enough money you can purchase them. In many countries, women are presented as something to buy. Have to reflect on question of gender relations, the way women have always been viewed as objects in all societies, even where women have importance in that society. They are presented as good enough for something because of the kind of bodies that they have. This has done a lot to promote this image of women. A need to begin to look at the way the media has been used to promote certain ideas of what is good and of what women are. Must see how different countries promote gender equality. If we do not address question of how women are shown in media and on social/political level, we cannot succeed in fighting trafficking and violence against women.

Arguments for politicians to agree with ratifying the convention against trafficking.

Need cooperation to deal with this issue. Not just a problem that poor developing countries face. There is no country not affected by this phenomenon. Trafficking in human beings is a market. As in any other market, must take into consideration both supply and demand. Country having significant demand plays equally active part as origin country. It is an illegal market, but it is a part of a network of phenomena which undermines our democratic society from many points of view. Can all agree that this is violation of most essential human right—right to dignity and freedom, the prohibition of forced slavery and labour. It is s survival of slavery. Can all agree that it is an ongoing infringement, that it is very often related to other criminal practices such as money-laundering, violence, tax evasion, fraud, and forced labour. Can also agree that it produces severe dangers and disturbances within hierarchical order of values of our society. Preserves old orders and generates new ones—the money that the traffickers earn undermines belief in labor value as way of progress, which is basis of modern society.

By not fighting trafficking, accept increasing presence of violence and murder among us.

Trafficking is one of most rapidly growing elicit activities over past two decades. Global sex industry is massive profit-making enterprise based on marketing of women and girls. Sexual exploitation of women and girls in intl. prostitution networks has become one of major networks of cross-border crimes. Women can be sold several times for profit, with criminals receiving little sanction.

Up to 80% of women and girls trafficked from central and eastern European countries to western European ones are intended for sex service market. Sales range from 5-9 billion US dollars. More money than annual amount of military budget in the world. Traffickers feed this illegal sex industry.

Some 4 million individuals transported annually within and between countries for purpose of trafficking. Every year over 100,000 women are victims of trafficking in the EU. Extension of sex industry has been encouraged by its incorporation and contacts with legal sector.

According to Europol 100s of women are found stranded, 22 women found 2006 almost frozen to death on a border crossing.

Undermines government and authority

Euro council: trafficking of human beings breach of human rights. Existing humanitarian law comparison, euro council 30 days exit permit, renewable resident permits, etc.

Global factors: globalization, poverty, economic downfall, +Gender specific factors: poverty has had effects on women. Scaling down on income and soc service support.

Not only focus on individual. Most important factor> migration. Pursuit for higher salaries, and better opportunities> providers of jobs often take advantage.

Women coming from high risk countries, more vulnerable.

Romania less than 10 percent women in parliament.

Widening gender wage gap. Pushes women into poorer paid jobs.

Convention focus migration, 5 th art> each party should enable legal migration.

Root cause: male DEMAND. Without demand market would collapse.

Measures: prevention, combating, protection of hr, victim support, promotion of intl. cooperation, >all in article 1 of convention.

Many European countries have signed this convention.

Trafficking modern form of slavery.

We must fight to give back the soc, economic, rights these women deserve.

Observance of human rights, see these women as human beings.

A Message from London’s Mayor: Anni Marjoram

People who are pro-prostitution know there is no way that majority of women would sign up for legalisation of prostitution in this country.

There are a number of different ways to bring this issue to the table. Often, the impression is that this is a lifestyle choice for women, and this is a disgraceful argument. Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, is very clear about his position - we are not going down route of normalising prostitution. We do not believe it is a victimless crime. What has happened in terms of members of population who thought "what harm does it do", is that now they have to admit they are in favour of trafficking.

Just because something has been around for a very long time doesn't mean you have to put up with it. Look closely at what is happening in Sweden. Wider issues, like poverty that drive these women into prostitution, need to be looked at as well.

Street prostitution in this country is falling, and the overwhelming majority of street prostitutes have terrible issues with drug problems. We also must look at what we do with the children who are looked after - it is sad that through mismanagement of the system, this essentially leads us to supply homegrown street prostitutes.

I would like to make clear the Mayor's position on this issue - we are willing to look at decriminalisation, but are not prepared to look at legalisation. Also, proper sex education lessons in all schools that talk about relationships and appropriate behavior is needed.

Link to document from 2004 on Mayor's website.

It seems that in most senior positions there are women as MPs and Ministers, and so there is great opportunity in terms of this issue to be put in correct way with the Home Office, the Attorney General and Ministers for Women. We must make our voices very clear about what we think and what the women think. We must mobilise opinions of ordinary women in this country.

Val Shawcross: Campaign for Ratification

Last week, government announced that they would be ratifying Council of Europe Convention on Action Against Trafficking. All necessary amendments will be made.

Need real implementation behind that. Must monitor and make sure that the points of the convention really happen.

Police must be thoroughly resourced to do the work they need to do. Must work at local level to make progress.

Position of children. Children who are trafficked into this country who find themselves taken into social services care can find themselves in revolving door situation. Not sufficient attention paid to giving secure protection from trafficking and sex industries. Large number disappear from social care.

Must treat victims as victims rather than criminals. Also, we must do research as citizens into full extent of trafficking so we can set reliable targets and appropriate levels of programs.

This is an issue at every level—international, national, London, local. Until local newspapers stop running sex industry adverts they are collaborating with forced prostitution. Need local resources, need local councils to look at what is going on. Focus on political priorities. Have to put votes into this issue-get women in this country to stand alongside us and women who have been trafficked to say they will not accept that women are treated like this. Will vote to have proper public action against these industries. Need women to know what is going on so they can work against this issue. A feminist issue.

Joanne McCartney: Organized Crime and Human Trafficking

The work police have been doing with regards to organized crime and human trafficking.

Distinct increase in organized criminal networks involving one commodity or another. People traffickers use people as commodities.

Illegal entry into UK comes at a price. Many must put up thousands of pounds to come here, or must pay much money in rent to live here, so they are forced into labor.

Many women come here with hopes and aspirations to become models or hospitality workers.

MPS Response launched 2003 is Operation MAXIM. Directly tackles organized networks. Targets gangs willing to prey on women and children. Now has access to lots of financial and technical support it previously did not have.

Divided into three teams: organized immigration team carries out operations throughout London, Human Trafficking Team, and Joint Intelligence Cell which researches info and prepares operational info for those two teams. Works to level 2 of national intelligence model, which means it works cross border.

Human Trafficking Team: launched last year. Undertakes trafficking investigations linked to criminal networks.

Takes proactive approach, working with border and immigration agency, passport service, and CPS.

24 hour on call advice.

Works at local level, with clubs, with child abuse investigation

All staff on unit have had specific training in relation to human trafficking.

Very much victim focused.

Many success stories for Human Trafficking Team. Recent conviction of gang of forgers operating in N. London, with 2000 counterfeit passports ready for use. Very well resourced, complex operations.

Partnership Working: Clubs and Vice Unit. Undertake a lot of work into prostitution in London and have links with Human Trafficking team.

Child Abuse Investigation Command Paladin Team. Child trafficking team of the MPS. Safeguard children at London’s ports. Work with Border and Immigration Agency

Supporting victims: need specialist care. HT Team places victim as number one priority. There is intermediary between police and victim to help.

Police also working with Poppy Project and The Medaille Trust, recently opened safe house in London for victims.

Police do great deal of raising awareness of the issue—give advice of how to recognize potential victim, talk to local authorities, talk to community organizations.

Operation Swale: Launched last year as well to deal with things at more local level. Going into local communities in London.

National Response: Operation Pentameter II. Lots of detailed analysis about the victims of trafficking. Analyzing evidence to get better understanding of organized networks that are out there.

Vernon Coaker MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Crime Reduction : The Government’s Response

Modern day form of slavery, perpetrated for profit with no regard for consequences for victims.

Feeds on exploitation of the vulnerable

Government totally committed to tackling this abhorrent crime, protect the victims, and providing them with real avenues to change their lives

March 2006: UK Action Plan for tackling trafficking. 62 measures for doing so. Four key areas:

• Enforcement
• Prevention
• Victim support
• Child trafficking

Last week, announced government’s intention to accelerate plans to ratify council of Europe convention against trafficking and also to review government’s regulation on UN Convention on Rights of Child. This provides protection to all victims of trafficking. Hoping to do so by end of 2008. Also directing efforts towards child trafficking.

Dec—published multi agency guidance for how to identify child victims and action to take. Working for preventing cruelty towards children, for providing advice line to help stop trafficking of children.

Anti-trafficking laws have resulted in a number of convictions. 70 convictions for trafficking for purposes of sexual exploitation, also from crimes like rape and kidnapping. April 1, 2006: agency launched to fight human trafficking. Oct. 2006, UK Human Trafficking Center. Child exploitation online protection agency, April 2006. Instrumental in success in Operation Glover, which rescued 33 female victims between 12-15, trafficked internally in UK. Gang leader sentenced ten years for multiple rapes. Not always about movement of victims across international borders, but can involve movement within the UK.

Must tackle demand for sexually exploited women and children. Otherwise another network will move in and take place. Some argue there is element of choice in this industry, but for trafficked women there is no real choice. Not told extent of men made to service and never-ending debt bondage. They are deceived and we won’t allow this to continue.

Recognize there is more to be done to tackle demand. 6-month review to explore what we can do to tackle demand which began early this month. Looks at what goes on in other districts. 10 th January, ministerial visit led to Sweden as part of this review. Purpose of trip is to examine effects of intro of new legislation in 1999 in Sweden to criminalize purchase of sex and decriminalize sale. Used visit to see how Swedish legislation is enforced and what impact it has had on prostitution markets. Clear that they have made considerable progress in terms of reducing demand, but issue still persists.

Sweden is also reviewing their approach in this area to see how they can strengthen it. Questions remain about impact legislation has had, but will continue to talk to colleagues in Sweden on this issue. Recent poll said 52% of UK Population supported criminalization of purchasing sex.

Street prostitution is dangerous. Last December, 5 young women brutally murdered on streets in Ipswich. Women will continue to face danger as result of involvement in prostitution. Must address factors that cause them to be involved in prostitution in the first place, but in the meantime must help them. Need response of criminal justice agency to reports of prostitution. Provisions in criminal justice and immigration bill will support those involved in prostitution to engage in local services and address issues that tie them to the streets. New order introduced in bill will give option for women to meet with advisors to get route out of prostitution.

Aim needs to be to reduce all forms of sexual exploitation, and tackling demand is where government thinks they can have greatest impact.

But legislation alone can’t tackle demand. Need to change social attitudes and awareness about realities of trafficking in prostitution. Also, changing attitudes of men by engaging them in debate. Have led awareness campaigns. Need the public to be more aware about women being forced into sex industry. One of the promising aspects is increase in intelligence provided on human trafficking in the UK, which will give picture of scale of problem in UK.

Police forces nationally have been involved in active operations to combat trafficking. So far in Pentameter II, over 542 premises have been visited, large percentage of which have been residential—demonstrating hidden nature of the crime. In Pentameter I many visits were aimed at massage parlors. Shows changing picture and way in which some traffickers are trying to hide some of the things going on. Number of arrests already exceed those on Pentameter I.

Also provides opportunity to help develop local measures. Includes victim support. Poppy Project. Help develop capacity and expertise of providers during campaign.

UK Human Trafficking Center has prevention subgroup looking into how to tackle demand and help women. Must drive home real consequences of the trafficker’s actions. Even if men do not know that woman was trafficked, their actions are keeping vulnerable women trapped. Gov can introduce new measures to tackle demand and offer exit strategies, but in the end it is about changing attitudes.

This is a huge priority for the government. Talking about thousands upon thousands of people exploited and trapped in situations of utter horror. Need for public debate which government has opened up about what to do about demand side of this trade. Have managed to do so without ridicule that sometimes accompanies serious policy debate. Need to fundamentally change nature of our society and reduce exploitation both on and off our streets.

Fiona MacTaggart MP: At the local sharp end

Important to look at what is trafficking, who are the victims, what circumstances encourage trafficking, and what are the actions we can take.

First thing we need to do is surface the debate, based on facts. Create proper awareness of what is trafficking. MEANS: The recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of persons by use of force or other means of coercion. Of the abuse of power or position of vulnerability to achieve consent of persons over control of another for exploitation, which includes slavery or practices similar to slavery such as sexual services and so on.

To be trafficked, you don’t actually have to be carried across borders. Don’t even need to be subject to force—can be fraud and deception. Very important. For the most part, prostitution as it is actually practiced in the world usually does satisfy the elements of trafficking. The way that women enter prostitution, via classic publicly acknowledged trafficking route with person moving you across borders and keeping you under control through force, but actually quite often the process is more subtle. We know from home office research that proportion of women who entered prostitution under 18 is ¾. Children groomed by pimps who trick and exploit them and addict them to heroine and other drugs. 80% of prostituted women in most surveys are addicted to class A drugs. 80% of women in prostitution have experienced violence. US State department research shows 9/10 people in prostitution want to escape it. Means that a very high proportion of prostituted women should be treated as trafficked women.

There is a reason why prostituted women are victims of trafficking—look at who perpetrators pick to traffic. Pick those who are vulnerable to these forms of exploitation—children, women, people whose immigration status is unclear or insecure. Must try to reduce the vulnerability of those groups who are most at risk.

Second is to look at what circumstances encourage trafficking. Seems clear that those circumstances are those which enable traffickers to gain biggest profits. One reason for massive growth in people trafficking is because it is now more profitable than drug trafficking. Want to make most money possible. The biggest richest market for prostituted women.

People argue that legalizing prostitution would protect women. Would keep women healthy and protect them from STI’s. Then there wouldn’t be this massive criminal market. This is a tempting view. But it is a wrong one because in practice an extraordinary thing happens. No country has successfully regulated this market which prevents an equivalent criminal market beside it. Examples:

Murder rate of prostitutes in Nevada, Las Vegas is twice the murder rate of prostitutes in NY and New Jersey, and yet it is effectively legal in Nevada.

Bulgaria—one woman said she preferred to work in Bulgaria than Germany where it is legal, because in Germany men insist on oral sex without condoms in this highly regulated legalized market.

Netherlands—zones of tolerance, women sold in these windows. Those administering in these areas have watched massive growth of sex markets as result. Influx of sex tourism. Not greater safety for women. In illegal and regulated areas the price is the same. Rape of women and violence towards women is common in these markets.

Women in prostitution have 40 times the risk of death of other women of their age. 50% of deaths in prostitution were results of murder.

So, what can we do? The most effective action to reduce trafficking is action to reduce the existence of prostitution. This is hard to do and faces resistance. But Sweden and other countries show that just because it is oldest profession doesn’t mean you can’t get rid of it. Focus on one actor in whole experience who has most choice—the customer. That is where you can make a real difference. Women who are prostituted and community where it happens have little ability to be helped. But the MEN are where you can make the difference.

Men don’t care whether the women are trafficked. Culture that allows men to shop for women is culture of modern day slavery. First thing we should do is target the customers and put in place legislation to criminalize purchase of sexual services as they have done in Sweden.

That on its own is not enough to reduce prostitution though. Also need resources to help women who exit prostitution. All women find leaving prostitution hard. Most are kept by their addiction, so must invest in helping women get treatment for their addiction and protect them from pimps. Must provide housing for victims. Government must help make this possible by sorting out immigration status. Pull factor for trafficking is fact that there is striving sex market in Britain, not that they can get immigration status.

As well as legislation and resource, we also need to talk about this. Quite difficult to debate policy on prostitution easily in public, because you get people being quite aggressive towards you. Must target local newspapers who are selling women. Need new ways of targeting internet advertising. Internet is such an effective marketing tool for selling women across. Need to talk about ways of doing this.

The most important thing to do to tackle trafficking is to reduce the demand for trafficked people, to reduce the profit that traffickers can make out of that. That will lead to success. Otherwise, all support and help you give to victims will not help keep others from being trafficked in the future.

Response : the government has deliberately put this issue in play, not responding to mass pressure at the moment. Clear sign that the government intends to deal with this, will probably happen quite soon. Must help government work through those elements of the convention where present practice might be in breach. Ex—practice of detaining families prior to deportation. Not many other breaches which are extensive or common.

Response: not completely true that there is no recognition that they are victims. One thing government put into place was in countries where this was happening most there were searches in airports there. Also put investment into rescue projects in Jamaica, enabling women to get skills and income. Still very small. Real anxiety from women trying to earn money for children at home, now they are stuck here in jail. Such a devastating position for those women. They should always have the maximum remission for deportation. Home office needs to be more organized about this to get them home as quickly as possible. Idea that if people simply get returned home without any punishment there would be greater supply. But much cheaper view would be to put type of testing that happened in Jamaica in all the risk countries and actually do investment and prevention—would reduce prison population by 20-25%.

Response: government can’t change people’s minds by telling them to change them. But they can change people’s minds by actually making certain actions unlawful. What happens when government puts in laws like ban on smoking in public places is that people go on to think “this is better, I prefer this world”. People’s minds do change when government puts in laws. One reason for criminalizing men paying for sex is to achieve that end. If 52% of people are already saying they think it would be alright to criminalize purchasing of sexual services then debate is already starting to change minds.

Response: National support services don’t work. Need local support services. But what does work is a good quality national number. On a whole load of these issues, the government has failed to brigade more than one issue together and invest in good quality national number. We could create a national number which dealt with rape, trafficking, and domestic violence. Where the provision behind the national number was local. National number would plug into local provision rather than providing services. Might connect to NHS to get health services and so on. But that kind of strategic planning on this has not been put in yet. Must put together these sets of demands to give clearer access to services. Also, use the web.

Response from Mary Honeyball: at the moment only putting down convention to ask member states to ratify Europe council convention. If the EU could, that would be a really useful thing to do because it would commit whole of EU to taking action. Will go back from today and make inquiries about this to see if it would be possible.

Q2: Dr. Aparanti, Deputy Commissioner of Mumbai Police, India. India is Tier 2 watch list, if it slips into tier 3 then sanctions would be imposed. What happens as police officer is that they would have to rescue as many women from the brothels as possible, and when women are rescued the exit part of it and victim support is not taken care of. Women are put into still more problems. How much does this kind of strategy of putting sanctions have success? What else could be done instead?

Esohe: The Tier watch list is a starting point, and it does have problems. Even sending observers to see what is going on in countries, it is difficult to say what is really going on. But they work at general level to see government actions and see if they meet general prerequisites such as government policies and laws, way police addresses issue, and collaboration they have with NGOs. More at general level. Gives very strong message to different countries to tell them they have to do something. Fact that Nigerian government has been able to put in institution to combat prostitution is good sign. May not be completely perfect system, but has given impulse to fight against trafficking.

Gunilla: countries which have legalized prostitution are all in Tier 1. They are actually creating markets for trafficking.

RESPONSE: capacity of shelter home in city of Mumbai is 100 women. Forced to rescue 400 women but don’t have capacity to help them.

Q3: Rachel Saunders UNISON. Can you give me some advice as to where I can get information on campaigns that have been run previously to raise awareness and to use that to alert our network of women?

Poppy Project: trying to educate people who have absorbed myths and mistruths of the legislation. Come to Poppy Project and they will provide suggestions

Gunilla: big debate about unionizing sex workers. Quite a lot of activity going on in Sweden in most of the unions trying to stop this internationally. Norwegians key in Sweden deciding to have law that criminalizes sexual services. Swedish union has as a collective gone out and said prostitution is not work. Unions work to give women access to work that is dignified and not oppressive.

Q4: When traffickers are actually caught, the sentences are much leaner than in other organized crimes.

Julie Bindel: Maximum sentence is 14 years. These traffickers are not getting maximum sentence because prosecutors are reluctant. Must add all of the different crimes on the indictment—rape, kidnapping, trafficking, etc. Thinking is that trafficking is so serious they don’t need other convictions with it. But actually they might not actually get convicted for trafficking, and this is total violation of human rights. If you are raped you ought to see your rapist convicted for this.

Gunilla: should throw trafficking and procuring to traffickers rather than just trafficking legislation. Just being woman in prostitution isn’t enough to convict trafficker, but procuring is. In Sweden there is forensic financial accounting to get the money back. Confiscate assets.

Esohe: the fact that many times in many of the laws that are passed the question of confiscating the trafficker’s property and then paying some form of compensation to victims is very positive. First place to hit traffickers is in their pocket. Time in jail doesn’t really do the trick. When you talk about victim compensation many jurisdictions ask that you have civil case, which is very difficult. Need some connection between ceasing assets and compensating women.

Gunilla: don’t believe in taking assets and putting them into a fund unless that is also filled with money from government. in Sweden, have every victim appointed legal advocate (female lawyer), and she has to ensure the victim is protected and secure during trial and to do compensation claim in court. Also, public compensation board where burden of proof is lower so you can get compensation.

Q5: Trafficking in Persons Report. Over 150 countries are looked at by US State Department, but no recording of the US itself. Is their scope or resources in other countries getting together to do their own report for the US?

Gunilla: movement within US to push evaluation of what goes on in their country. All countries should have national report on trafficking and prostitution, a mechanism there to monitor and file annual reports. Give recommendations and so forth. Don’t really need another TIP report. If you have good people at embassies that will take this seriously they do a good report. It is not a research study but whoever does it does it. Let’s have monitoring mechanisms with feminist faces who will look at legal consequences and normative effects of legislation.

Mary: Agrees with Gunilla. Thinks we should bring the US into it. But first get it right across Europe which will have an effect on outside of the EU.

Q6: Justin Bahunga from Africans Unite Against Child Abuse (AFRUCA). Wants some more information about demand for children being trafficked.

Gunilla: have adequate legislation for sex tourism where we can work with other countries to have them charged and prosecuted in country where they buy children or in Sweden. Length of sentence for those who traffic children is two years, otherwise it is the same. Don’t separate women and children when talking about trafficking and prostitution. They are in the same position. Problem with children is you try to find parents and often you can’t send them back to those parents. For child, they are appointed guardian right away and are ensured safe and protected place to stay. There is shelter in Sweden that is very private for young girls. In order to get residence permit, cannot have any contact with the traffickers. But the problem is these women and children should not be detained, but some have run away and joined the pimps. Some countries will kick these girls out of the country because they don’t want them there. Need same sex services/shelters. Needs to be with feminist understanding of violence so that you treat this as a form of male violence.

Julie: Have very disingenuous attitude towards children. We do not care at all when the prostituted child has her 18 birthday—at that point we talk like she has chosen it. False distinction between child and adult prostitution. Do need to target services appropriately, but if we keep separating these categories out then we are not really dealing with properly. They are the same female—she starts as child and remains as adult.

Esohe: don’t make specific distinction between adult and child because when it comes to prosecution the children have specific treatments that are more advantageous than for adults, but that is the only difference in treating them.

Gunilla: worked with Justice for Girls, who works with women who ran away from home and entered prostitution. Wanted to create a shelter where girls can run to and not be still in the guardianship of their father and not be put into guardianship by the states. These girls will not seek shelter but would rather stay away because they are so afraid of being sent back to their families. Wanted to provide safe haven where girls could run and they could work to ensure they could get out of prostitution while continuing to live there longer term.

Q7: Julie Harris from Barnardo's. Media representation and society’s view. Still termed as child prostitutes in government legislation.

Gunilla: false distinction about working with children and then when they turn 18 no longer having sympathy

Julie: government acted recently in removing common prostitute label. Why not have overhaul of the language? If juvenile person is called a sex worker, they might think it is not abuse. Should all raise the point to the appropriate government ministers and say this is unacceptable and we ought to remove that term now. Also be careful about calling women prostitutes.

Gunilla: in Sweden, removed language that blames the victims

Q8: What is difference between Nigerian traffickers and East European traffickers?

Esohe: Trafficking of Nigerian women mainly concentrated in hands of other Nigerian women who are family members, friends, and neighbours, in a group that knows each other. So those who were once trafficked encourage others to earn money for them through prostitution. Really don’t have kind of hierarchical structure where you have head of organization and those who work under, instead have small groups of individuals working for themselves to exploit women in prostitution. In E. Europe, mainly hierarchical group with other pimps working for them who keep the women who they use to oppress under women under them.

Southbank University and Poppy Project hosting conference on sex trafficking. On either website. Friday March 7.

Mary Honeyball, A European Written Declaration

We need to look at contributions that we can make, and one way is to put forward a written declaration to the European Parliament. All MEP’s can sign it, and if you get majority signing it then it becomes policy of the parliament which gives it a huge status and it would get sent to all member states. Really will get this on the agenda across Europe.

If it is possible that EU itself can be signatory to Council of Europe Convention that would be excellent. That is the first thing that the written declaration talks about—will call on all member states to sign the Council of Europe Convention.

Will condemn human trafficking and trafficking for prostitution.

Call on all member states to look at reducing demand for prostitution. Will have huge effect—perhaps most important thing member state can do to tackle prostitution is to reduce demand. If we could get that to happen across entire EU we would be making great progress.

Increased support services for victims of trafficking and sexual exploitation.

Increased international cooperation. Have heard a lot about how this is an international matter—not just confined to UK or Europe. One of those things which is truly international and happens at all levels. International, national, and local, and need to make sure that is taken into account.