MAP - Male Action Project: Initial Results

The Cyrenians - a Newcastle based homelessness charity (with from what I can work out, Catholic roots) recently published some interesting research on male sex work.

 From May to November 2011 The Cyrenians carried out a scoping exercise and some exploratory work to consider the nature and extent of male sex work in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. In April 2012 funds were secured to support a 12 month project 'MAP' (Male Action Project) to further develop the evidence-base regarding the needs of 'survival' male sex workers; and to undertake a programme of campaigning activities to stimulate and facilitate policy change at local, regional and national levels.

The initial needs analysis can be downloaded here.

All-Party Parliamentary Group on Prostitution and the Global Sex Trade

The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Prostitution and the Global Sex Trade are gathering written evidence through the form of a questionnaire which can be accessed through their website: www.appgprostitution.org The deadline for submissions is Monday 4th February at 4pm.

This is part of an inquiry to assess the current UK legal settlement surrounding prostitution, and to identify how legislation to tackle demand could safeguard those in danger of sexual exploitation and abuse.

Sex Work in China

The South China Morning post carries a fascinating and sad piece on female sex work in China.  The journalist and author Lijia Zhang says the impunity with which police officers abuse their power often means a life of misery for China's sex workers, who operate without recourse to proper legal protection.  The piece is well worth a read and can be accessed here.

The Sex Booth Commeth

You may recall a story back in 2010 of plans for 'sex boxes' in Switzerland.  I think I even blogged on it but I can't for the life of me find the post.  Anyway, the 'boxes' were essentially three screens which you would drive into with a sex worker, providing a discreet space for a sexual rendezvous within the Red Light District (see the picture on the right of a similar screen in Germany).  Marvellous progressiveness I thought and that was that.  Only, here we are, two years on and finally it seems, Zurich will be introducing the booths with effect from next year.

It's reported that 'Zurich’s social welfare department will ban prostitution in certain parts of the city, making it only legal to solicit sex in the allotted “sex booths” that will posses parking spaces, as well as alarm buttons, in case Johns get too carried away. Employee’s of the public sex industry will have to register with a health insurer and also buy a $5 ticket per night in order to accept customers.'

It's an interesting move to control street prostitution and improve public health both for sex workers and punters.  Definitely one to watch - and one does wonder whether there will be booth 'capacity' issues.

New Resource: Queer Sex Work

Nicki Smith at Birmingham University has launched a new website:  Queer Sex Work. It's for anyone and everyone who is interested in issues about being and doing ‘queer’ in the sex industry: sex workers, activists, researchers, students, practitioners and anyone else who is interested in exploring, discussing, debating, or learning more about the diversity of queer identities, practices, politics and scholarship in and about the sex industry. The site is designed to be as inclusive as possible of different voices, experiences and identities, and to be a space for dialogue and of mutual respect. It includes research resources, policy and activism links, and links to support services, together with regular posts on projects, publications, people and events.

Check it out here.

Two new consultations on prostitution: Scotland, Northern Ireland

My thanks to CAAN for flagging this up to me.

Not one, but two consultations advocating "the Swedish solution" to make criminal the purchase of sexual services have been announced in Northern Ireland and Scotland.

The first, in Northern Ireland, is part of the Human Trafficking & Exploitation (Further Provisions & Support for Victims) Bill (link here) presented by Lord Morrow.  The second, in Scotland, is a stand-alone bill (Criminalisation of the Purchase of Sex (Scotland) Bill (2) from Rhoda Grant MSP) that follows in the footsteps of the earlier bill from Trish Godman.

The Northern Ireland Consultation closes 5pm on Thursday 18th October 2012. You can read the consultation in full with all directions of where to send it here.

The Scotland Consultation closes 14 December 2012.   You can read the consultation in full with all directions of where to send it here.

Read the full CAAn briefing and take on these developments here.

Dangerous Sex, Invisible Labor: Sex Work and the Law in India

I was recently fortunate enough to chair a brilliant author meets reader session at the SLSA Annual Conference in Leicester.  The book in question was Dangerous Sex, Invisible Labor: Sex Work and the Law in India (published by Princeton University Press) from the wonderful Prabha Kotiswaran from SOAS.   The text had just been crowned winner of the SLSA-Hart Prize for Early Career Academics, and she recently appeared on Laurie Taylor's Thinking Allowed.  You can still listen to the programme here - give it a whirl.

Met Police Sex Trafficking Investigations Criticised: Silence On Violence

The Guardian carried a very interesting story earlier this week which you might have missed. According to the paper, an elite Metropolitan police squad has come under fire in a highly critical report commissioned by the London mayor, Boris Johnson, for its investigations into sex trafficking in the runup to the Olympics.

The report accuses officers of a "heavy handed" approach to brothel raids and of failing to find victims of trafficking. The report, Silence On Violence, from London assembly member Andrew Boff, is being considered by Johnson. It criticises the police performance and estimates that they have a success rate of less than 1% in finding trafficking victims during brothel raids.

You can read the full Guardian story here.

The full report can be read here.

An executive summary can be read here.

Andrew Boff, author of the report, talks about it in the clip below: