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Harman calls on women's institute to help tackle sex trafficking
Issued by News Distribution Service on behalf of Government Equalities Office
Harriet Harman, Minister for Women and Equality, will today call on members of the Women's Institute to check if their local newspaper has adverts for women who may have been trafficked and forced in to prostitution.
Ms Harman will be speaking at the National Federation of Women's Institutes (NFWI) Women's Conference in London, on the International End Violence Against Women Day (or 'White Ribbon' day).
The UK is a major destination for trafficked women, and victims can be found in every part of the UK - it is not just an urban phenomenon. Adverts in local papers are one of the most common methods of making contact with women for sexual purposes.
Ministers met with members of the newspaper and advertising industry towards the end of last year, which led to the Newspaper Society publishing tighter guidance for editors on what adverts should be refused. Since then a number of local newspapers, such as the Newsquest Group, have announced that they will no longer accept offending adverts - however many local papers still print them.
Ms Harman is expected to say to members of the Women's Institute:
"Look at the adverts in your local newspaper. They advertise women for sale for sex. Many are young women from Eastern Europe, from Africa or SE Asia, tricked and trafficked into this country and forced into prostitution.
"I hope that members of the NFWI will help protect women from being brought here from abroad and being forced into the sex trade. You can do this by looking at your local newspapers and seeing whether in the classified ads, amongst the skip hire and the lost pets, you see ads for women for sale.
"Things like 'Angel's Massage - Different girls daily. 7 days'; 'Young Asian Girl New to Cambridge 10am-10pm 7 days'; 'Oriental massage in out New girls in 7 days'.
"So when you see them, can you think about writing to the editor and complaining? Local papers are important and should not be used to advertise this sleaze, exploitation and human misery."
A recent survey* found that 58 per cent of men and women supported making it illegal to pay for sex if it will help reduce women and children trafficked into the UK for sexual exploitation.
Research published earlier this year showed that nearly half the adverts for women in local papers referred to them as being from abroad. The report 'Women Not for Sale' showed how small ads in newspapers can fuel demand for women trafficked for sexual exploitation.
Fay Mansell, NFWI Chair, said:
"The WI has been campaigning on this issue since 2004, by pressing for governments around the world to do more to stop human trafficking.
"But local action is vital too, as a lot of women are trafficked due to demand generated by adverts for sexual services. We are asking members to see if their local papers have followed guidelines to reduce such adverts."
The government is committed to tackling sex trafficking, which is illegal, exploits women and is connected to serious organised crime. Action includes:
The government is committed to tackling sex trafficking, which is illegal, exploits women and is connected to serious organised crime. Action includes:
* £1.7 million this year to the UK Human Trafficking Centre, which brings together law enforcement, intelligence gathering, research, and victim care. This represents a doubling of its budget from last year.
* 'Blue Blindfold' awareness raising campaign with the message 'Don't close your eyes to human trafficking'.
* £5.8 million invested over the last six years in the POPPY project, which provides accommodation, support, and legal advice to women that have been trafficked into sexual exploitation.
* Police-led Operation Pentameter 2, which visited 822 premises, made 528 arrests, and recovered 167 victims of trafficking.
Last week the Government announced that it will make a new criminal offence of "paying for sex with someone who is controlled for another person's gain". This follows a six month review and will shift the focus on to the sex buyers, who fuel the demand for women trafficked for sexual exploitation. The Government will also give police new powers to close brothels and prosecute kerb-crawlers on their first offence.
Ms Harman will also announce today that since 1997 there has been a 58 per cent fall in the number of domestic violence incidents, and that three quarters (73 per cent) of domestic violence cases bought to court now result in a conviction. This compares with less than half (46 per cent) leading to a conviction in 2003.
This is a result of steps taken since 1997 which include: new laws such as the Domestic Violence Crime and Victims Act; introduction of Specialist Domestic Violence Courts; more support and protection for victims; and improved handling of cases by Specialist Domestic Violence Prosecutors.
Ms Harman will say "Fewer crimes and more convictions is the trend we want to see continue. But we have to continue to challenge reactionary attitudes - that domestic violence is a private matter between husband and wife and we shouldn't intervene, or that she has bought it on herself. Whatever happens in a relationship, domestic violence should never be excused."
Ms Harman will also say that more rapists are being caught and prosecuted, with latest figures showing that 754 rapists were convicted in 2006, compared with 517 in 1997. This is an increase in rape convictions of more than 45 per cent.
Considerable progress has been made since 1997, with a network of Sexual Assault Referral Centres established - there are currently 22 and this will increase to 38 by 2011, Independent Sexual Violence Advisors have been introduced; the law has been clarified with the Sexual Offences Act 2003, and specially trained police officers and rape prosecutors have been introduced.
*Government Equalities Office survey, September 2008
Media enquiries
Please contact the Government Equalities
Office press office on 0207 276 0932/0996.
Notes for editors
* The Government Equalities Office is responsible for the Government's overall strategy, legislation and priorities on equality issues. It was established in July 2007. The Office also has direct responsibility for policy on gender equality, sexual orientation, and for integrating work on race.
* Harriet Harman will be speaking at the National Federation of Women's Institutes (NFWI) Women's Conference in London on 25th November 2008.
* The Government will ratify the Council of Europe Convention against Trafficking by the end of the year. This will give temporary residence permits for victims providing them with recourse to public funds and access to longer-term support; and an extension of the existing reflection period (where victims can receive support and decide if they want to seek justice) to an extendable minimum period of 45 days.
* The Government Equalities Office also today published a new factsheet on forced marriages which can be downloaded from: http://www.equalities.gov.uk
* "Tackling The Demand For Prostitution: A Review" can be found at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk
* "Women Not for Sale" can be downloaded at: http://www.equalities.gov.uk/publications/Women_Not_For_Sale.pdf
* UK Action Plan on Human Trafficking can be downloaded at: http://www.crimereduction.homeoffice.gov.uk/humantrafficking004.htm
* Information on the 'Blue Blindfold' campaign can be found at: http://www.blueblindfold.co.uk/
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