Consent in exchange for money is not consent at all.

Yesterday, the Women’s Support Project and Zero Tolerance revealed the findings of their latest study regarding the reality of prostitution and pornography in Scotland.

One of their most hard hitting statistics is that not only that 90% women involved in prostitution in Scotland want to get out of it immediately, but that they had also never made the voluntary choice to enter the industry in the first place.

You can read more on their findings here.

Thanks to the radical feminist tradition in Scotland, we are blessed with many agencies working with women engaged in prostitution. The evidence is mounting up, and all of their work points to one thing – prostitution is a crime against women.

As socialists, we believe in equality for all. Equality cannot be achieved without sexual and bodily autonomy – which does not exist for women when so many of us are forced to barter sexual favours in exchange for survival.

4 Comments

  1. Stuart says:

    Yet more evidence to add to the already enormous array of proof that prostitution is damaging and a form of patriarchal violence and abuse. I believe the justice committee of the Scottish Parliament earlier this year sadly decided not to adopt plans for implementing the Nordic model in Scotland but the campaign (which includes End Prostitution Now and other organisations) is only just beginning and I’m sure will win through in the end.

    By the way I see from their facebook page that the Scottish Coalition Against Sexual Exploitation are having their first meeting on Tuesday (5th of October) at 6.30 pm in Glasgow at the Women’s Support Project Office, 31 Stockwell Street. There are perhaps some people in the SSY (or SSP) who would want to go along to that.

  2. Paul v2 says:

    I do not agree with prostitution I think it is extremely wrong but with making the obvious noice of No!!! really people do not want to use their bodies for monetary gain. It is quite clear that any report would come back the same. I love the fact you say prostitution is a crime against women does that imply that you agree with male prostitution prostituion is a crime and last time I checked that was official under Scots law and other British law. I do not know by what you mean by the nordic model but this is simple as long as some people believe that they can gain quicker money breaking the law being in all forms of crime then there shall be crime you should be looking and campaigning for the government to deal with poverty and the lack of anything to do for a vast majority of people.

  3. G says:

    “As socialists, we believe in equality for all.”

    Equality includes equality of choice. If a man or woman chooses, for any reason, to sell sex, they are exercising that choice.

  4. peter schevtschenko says:

    karl marx would agree with prostitution as its the one industry where workers get a fair share of the surplus value.
    why should women clean toilets of rich people for minimum wage when they can earn more from sex work?
    for many working class women(and men) sex work is a better choice
    “so many of us are forced to barter sexual favours in exchange for survival.” sex workers are ignored by those who claim to be socialist
    & want to starve them of customers,but who will pay their bills & feed their children if sex work is made illegal?