Saturday, February 6, 2016

Women's Views on News

Women's Views on News

Prostitution not a life of glamour

Posted: 05 Feb 2016 01:08 PM PST

women's support project, zero tolerance, 2 short films, prostitution, ScotlandFor many women involvement in prostitution is based not on choice but survival.

Scottish women talk about their experiences of being involved in prostitution in two powerful short films launched recently by the Women's Support Project and Zero Tolerance.

‘Katy's Story’ and ‘Stephanie's Story’ can be seen via the Women's Support Project’s Youtube channel.

Both Katy and Stephanie were involved in prostitution over a number of years and they talk of the realities of prostitution, how they were treated by 'punters', their experiences of violence, and their hopes for the future.

These films were made for use in training and public education, as well as more generally to raise awareness of the harm caused by prostitution.

The launch of the films is timely, given that the Scottish Government is currently undertaking research into the extent and impact of the sex industry in Scotland and that the government’s Justice Analytical Services Division is expected to produce a report in the near future.

Linda Thompson, from the Women’s Support Project, said: "We are pleased to be able to provide an opportunity for Katy and Stephanie to share their stories of the reality of what they had to face in prostitution.

"As you will hear, their lives are not full of glamour.

"We are working with other women across Scotland and over the coming months will be releasing additional materials which will allow women's voices to be heard," she continued.

"This is part of ongoing work to raise awareness of the causes of prostitution, the harm caused to individuals, families and communities, the need for increased resources to help those exploited and long term strategies to reduce demand and so prevent further exploitation.

"We are also calling for the Scottish Government to introduce legislation to criminalise the buying of sex in all settings, so as to reduce demand and prevent exploitation."

Laura Tomson, from Zero Tolerance, said: "Katy and Stephanie's stories undermine the all-too-prevalent view that prostitution is easy money, or even enjoyable work.

"Because sex is usually sold in a context of deprivation or abuse few women in prostitution have the opportunity to share their experiences.

"We all owe it to Katy and Stephanie to take their stories seriously and see buying sex for what it is – exploitation and an abuse of power."

For many women involvement in prostitution is based not on choice but survival.

Very often the women in prostitution are highly marginalised and have been directly coerced or otherwise drawn into prostitution, typically as a result of vulnerabilities or adversities they have experienced in their lives.

These can include childhood abuse, domestic violence, physical and mental health problems, addiction and insecure immigration status, to name but a few.

And most of the women who are involved in prostitution right now are entirely focused on surviving and trying to 'get by' from day to day.

Katy and Stephanie's stories highlight the reality of what street prostitution can be like in Scotland and show how all too often the idea of choice is a false one.

And it was not what either of the two women wanted to do.

Katy thought she would do it for a few nights and be able to leave but found herself involved for years in something she thinks was the biggest mistake of her life.

She had wanted to be midwife and had the same dreams that many of us have – a decent house, a job and a family.

Stephanie had plans to finish college and become a social worker before life took her on a different path.

She too thought prostitution would be a temporary thing but her addiction forced her to stay involved.

Prostitution is not harmless. It can have a lasting impact on physical and mental health as well as relationships. As Katy said – "it ruined that side of it."

She has the experience in her head all the time and has to think back over what she has had to do – tactivities which she describes as demeaning and degrading.

Stephanie talks about how hard it is to switch off and how the punters are in control, make you feel like an object and a piece of meat. Many punters feel they can do whatever they want to the woman as they have paid for them.

And they have both faced high levels of violence.

Stephanie said: "I have been attacked four times, raped twice."

"There is a lot of danger in it," she continued, but she sees herself as lucky with some of her friends having experienced a lot worse – sometimes as a weekly occurrence.

Services who work with women in prostitution also know the violence the women face.

As Alison at Streetwork said: "We’ve seen in the past, the horror stories where the women have been murdered or attacked or abused.

"We see it on a, I would say fortnightly basis, where there’s an incident with a women who has been shouted at, faced in-the-street abuse, has been struck by something, has been raped and even murdered.

"Under no circumstances is it safe."

Katy and Stephanie highlight how important is it for them to have the chance to leave and find an alternative. They did not want to be involved in prostitution for the rest of their lives.

Scotland needs to ensure that there is comprehensive services to help women to exit, when they want to, and make sure a safety net is around them while they are still involved.

It can be a tough process to leave that life behind and start afresh and many women are drawn back in at times.

Services need to understand the impact of the trauma the women have experienced and how long it can take to build up confidence, self-esteem and a vision for the future.

The Women's Support Project and Zero Tolerance, along with many other organisations and individuals in Scotland, are calling for the Scottish government to introduce legislation to criminalise the buying of sex in all settings, so as to reduce demand and prevent exploitation.

"We wanted to give these women the chance to have their stories heard, voices that are all too often missing from the media and debates as to how Scotland will prevent the harm and exploitation in prostitution," Linda Thompson said.