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| English Collective of Prostitutes | |
|---|---|
| Name | English Collective of Prostitutes |
| Founded | 1975 |
| Type | Advocacy group |
| Location | England |
| Focus | Sex workers' rights, abolitionist advocacy |
English Collective of Prostitutes The English Collective of Prostitutes is a British advocacy group founded in 1975 that campaigns on issues affecting sex workers and prostitution policy in England. The group has been involved in debates alongside organizations such as National Union of Students, Trade Union Congress, Amnesty International, Equality and Human Rights Commission and engaged with political parties including the Labour Party (UK), the Conservative Party (UK), the Liberal Democrats (UK), and the Green Party (UK). It has appeared in public discourse with commentators and institutions such as The Guardian, The Independent, BBC News, Channel 4, and Sky News.
The Collective emerged during the 1970s feminist movement in the context of campaigns by activists associated with Women's Liberation Movement (UK), Redstockings, Sisterhood Is Powerful, and contemporaries like Germaine Greer, Andrea Dworkin, and Kathleen Barry. Early activity intersected with legal cases involving the Crown Prosecution Service and policy debates in Westminster, prompting engagement with MPs such as Glenda Jackson and Shirley Williams. The Collective has interacted with research from institutions including London School of Economics, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, University College London, and think tanks like the Institute for Public Policy Research and Policy Exchange. Over decades it participated in protests, tribunals, and parliamentary inquiries alongside groups such as Women Against Rape, Refuge, and Shelter (charity), and has responded to legislation including the Sexual Offences Act 2003, the Policing and Crime Act 2009, and local council licensing regimes exemplified by debates in Westminster City Council and Manchester City Council.
The Collective frames its aims in relation to feminist campaigns by activists like Betty Friedan, Simone de Beauvoir, and organizations such as National Organization for Women, aligning with abolitionist currents present in debates influenced by scholars at Harvard University, Yale University, and Columbia University. It emphasizes solidarity with individuals affected by trafficking cases investigated by National Crime Agency and international bodies like United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and UN Women. The Collective critiques regulatory models promoted by advocates in New Zealand (referencing the Prostitution Reform Act 2003), Netherlands, and Germany while referencing positions advanced by campaigners in Sweden whose model is legislated through the Sex Purchase Act (Sweden). Its principles have been discussed in relation to reports from Home Office (UK), academic work at King's College London, and briefing papers by Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
The group has organized marches and demonstrations alongside coalitions with Sisters Uncut, Fawcett Society, Equality Now, and trade unions such as Unison (trade union). It has submitted evidence to parliamentary committees including the Home Affairs Select Committee and participated in public assemblies at venues like Royal Courts of Justice, Houses of Parliament, and Trafalgar Square. The Collective has run public education campaigns engaging journalists from The Times, Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail, The Sun, and broadcasters like ITV and Channel 5. It has allied with survivor-led networks including Eaves Housing for Women, Walking With Women, and international coalitions such as Coalition Against Trafficking in Women.
The Collective supports criminalizing the purchase of sexual services as adopted in legislation influenced by Margaret Thatcher-era debates and compared to the Nordic model legislation in Sweden and implemented in parts of France and Ireland. It has engaged with legal scholars at Birkbeck, University of London, litigators associated with Liberty (advocacy group), and solicitors appearing before the European Court of Human Rights. The Collective has contested policy positions advanced by advocates for full decriminalization associated with activists in New Zealand and research from Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International.
The Collective operates through local groups in cities including London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, Bristol, and Newcastle upon Tyne. Its membership has included former sex workers, feminist campaigners, social workers from Barnardo's, legal professionals linked to Law Society of England and Wales, and academics from Goldsmiths, University of London. It coordinates with domestic charities such as Migrant Help, Poppy Project, and health services like NHS England, while engaging with community policing teams and borough councils across regions including Greater London Authority and Metropolitan Police Service areas.
Reception has been polarized: praise from abolitionist feminists like Janice Raymond and criticism from proponents of decriminalization including advocates associated with English Collective of Prostitutes's opponents such as Swan (charity) and researchers from The Open University. Media coverage has ranged from sympathetic features in The Observer to critical editorials in The Telegraph and debates on programmes like Question Time (BBC). Critics have argued against the Collective's stance citing studies from Lancet and researchers at University of Edinburgh and University of Glasgow, while supporters cite survivor testimonies and reports by Office for National Statistics and NGOs such as Anti-Slavery International.
The Collective has influenced policy debates in Westminster, contributed testimony to inquiries led by figures like Yvette Cooper, and shaped public discussion alongside campaigns resulting in legislation in Northern Ireland and policy shifts in Scotland. Its legacy is evident in the network of feminist organizations, parliamentary amendments, and continuing activism intersecting with academic work at University of Essex and international dialogues at forums hosted by Council of Europe and European Parliament. Debates involving the Collective continue to inform comparative law studies at institutions including Princeton University, University of California, Berkeley, and University of Toronto.
Category:Feminist organisations in the United Kingdom