NUM’s response to the Home Office Statement of Expectations on Violence Against Women and Girls

NUM’s response to the Home Office Statement of Expectations on Violence Against Women and Girls
31 March 2022

National Ugly Mugs (NUM), The English Collective of Prostitutes (ECP) and the former Umbrella Lane Project (now NUMbrella Lane), conducted a joint study in 2021 into VAWG among sex workers to inform the Home Office Consultation, entitled ‘Sex Workers Too: Summary of Evidence for VAWG 2020-24 Consultation‘. Then central aim was to hear from sex workers about the violence that they experience and contribute this evidence to inform government policy. 

The final report provided substantial evidence on the needs of sex workers as part of broader policies regarding VAWG. Not only did the report detail the disproportionate harms that sex workers face in society as a result of their work and any intersecting marginalisations they face, but put forward sex workers’ views on their needs and wishes to reduce this violence and harm. The sources of violence that they identified were not limited to interpersonal violence – although this formed a significant part of their experiences – but included secondary victimisation from the criminal justice system, the harms caused by damaging laws which push sex workers into further danger, austerity and hostile migration policies and stigma and public attitudes towards sex work.

 

How do we solve this?

Sex workers referenced a number of changes that need to be made to prevent them from experiencing violence. Legal changes regarding sex work specifically were central to this, including the removal of laws against brothel-keeping and soliciting, and the full decriminalisation of sex work. However, sex workers also spoke openly about the need to improve policies around migration, austerity, disability and labour. Most pertinently was the clear call from sex workers that they must be included and listened to in creating laws and policies regarding their lives, which recognise their unique needs and their expertise as people with lived experiences of the harms that currently flourish against them.

“Until sex workers are seen and treated as equal citizens, worthy of respect and support, exceptional harm against them will exist.

There needs to be an entire overhaul of how society treats sex workers, and this must start with them being given a seat round the table to make decisions about their own lives and what is best for them.” 

 – Sex Workers Too, survey participant

We believe that protecting sex workers and pursuing those who harm them is key to achieving and end to VAWG. NUM is acutely aware of the targeting of sex workers for violence and harm due in part to their marginalised social positions, sex work stigma and the lack of recognition of their value and contributions to society. We know who sex workers are. They are mums and students, people with disabilities and trans people, pensioners and migrants, people of colour and those made impoverished through Covid-19 redundancies and poverty. 

Stigma against sex workers leads to their credibility being questioned and their victimisation invisibilised. The society we live in allows this stigma to flourish, and sex workers are routinely denied the opportunity to contribute to policies and protections that will impact their lives.

We believe that sex workers deserve protection under the VAWG strategy and have set about gathering evident about harms to this diverse population.

There is much more we need to learn about the harms sex workers experience, where this occurs, who the perpetrators of violence are, and what social and policy conditions contribute to their marginalisation.

Research/projects underway include: 

Other priority areas for research and development include: 

  • Sex workers who experience domestic abuse.
  • Sex work health and disability.
  • The needs of LGBTI+ communities in adult industries
  • Seeking investment for the NUMline as a national helpline for adults in sex industries to get timely support

We strongly believe that sex workers should have the ability to contribute to, lead and shape policies that affect their own lives. It is vital that the needs of sex workers be considered in all policies relating to ending VAWG, where those at the margins are both at the greatest risk of harm, and are the most likely to be disregarded or excluded.

 

The Home Office Statement of Expectations

We are pleased to see that the VAWG Statement of expectations has been released and investment in addressing specific areas of priority and survivor populations have been itemised, including support to ‘by and for’ and specialist services. These have been summarised here.

The report contains funding to support a number of VAWG issues and intersections, including funding for helplines supporting male and LGBT victims of domestic abuse and victims of revenge porn, stalking and ‘honour’-based abuse, alongside a 24/7 rape victim support service. It is vital that these services are sex worker-inclusive to support greater access to justice and remedies following what are recognised as potentially traumatic events, that sex workers can face an even greater vulnerability to. Similarly, they mention the need for resources which recognises and works to mitigate the barriers faced by marginalised populations, including mental health support as well as support following harm. 

It is now vital that the Home Office and commissioners act on the principles set out in the statement of expectations to ensure that sex workers will not be left out of policy development and funding opportunities. 

NUM’s work transcends geographical boundaries by design. The reasons behind NUM becoming established in 2012 was specifically for sex worker safety to have a national scope. This is due to the mobile nature of some forms of sex work, the large contingent who work online or through digital mediation, and the fact that perpetrators move locations and change tact in their pursuit of potential victims. NUM was established to counteract the very issue of treating violence against sex workers as purely a place-based phenomenon. 

‘The time for sex workers to benefit from state investment and responses to violence is now.  The new VAWG strategy presents a critical opportunity for sex workers to have status as full stakeholders in policies that will affect their lives.’

 – Dr. Raven Bowen, CEO 

The Home Office lists “put the victim/survivor at the centre of service design and delivery” as their first priority. This must include sex workers.

We look forward to working with sex workers and policy makers in the VAWG sector and beyond to ameliorate the violence sex workers experience, and increase safety, justice and support not just for sex workers, but for all women, and society as a whole.