This page provides access to recordings and transcripts of the talks from our ‘Prostitution: Work? … Or exploitation?’ webinar on 22 November 2020.
We hear over and over again that “sex work is normal work.” But is this really true or is the reality in fact much darker? In this webinar, women who have lived experience of prostitution examined this claim.
They say that prostitution is a choice…
During the webinar we premiered three short films by Ygerne Price-Davies based on survivor testimony submitted to Nordic Model Now! through our Share Your Story page and with actors reading the words. Here is the first one. The other two are below.
Megan King’s presentation
Megan is a survivor of the off-street sex trade. Although initially coerced and exploited into the trade, Megan’s involvement in prostitution was later glamourised as that of a ‘high class escort’. Upon exiting the trade, Megan’s primary motivation for speaking out as a survivor is to prove that it doesn’t matter how or where you sell sex, or how much money you are compensated with, the nature of prostitution is inherently abusive and exploitative and the only solution to avoid this trauma to women is for the UK to apply the sex buyer law.
In this presentation, Megan talks about the Nordic Model, what it is, and why she thinks it is the best approach to prostitution policy and law.
Play as podcast:
Duration: 11.00 minutes | File size: 9.32 MB | Play in new window (with option to download file)
They say that prostitution is regular service work…
Here is the second of the three short films by Ygerne Price-Davies.
The discussion
The second part of the webinar was a live discussion between Jade, Luba Fein and Rebecca Mott, chaired by Siobhan.
Jade started in street and brothel prostitution as a teenager, then moved into stripping and ‘glamour modelling’ as an adult. She now works to create support services for women who have exited or want to exit.
Luba is a feminist abolitionist activist from Israel. She has actively promoted the Nordic Model in her country, where the Sex Purchase Ban was enforced this year.
Rebecca used to do indoor prostitution of various types, all of which allow punters to be violent. She is now an Abolitionist, and writes to explain the conditions of prostitution and the impact of having trauma as an exited woman.
Siobhan has been a member of Nordic Model Now! for the last two years. She is honoured to be chairing this webinar and to have met and worked with like-minded women around this essential issue.
Play as podcast:
Duration: 1.15.47 minutes | File size: 53.53 MB | Play in new window (with option to download file)
They say that legalization makes prostitution safe…
Here is the final of the three short films by Ygerne Price-Davies.
The Scottish consultation on prostitution policy
At the end of the discussion, Siobhan suggests that audience members might like to respond to the Scottish consultation on prostitution policy (which closes on 10 December 2020) and that we have provided a crib sheet to make this as easy as possible.
Many thanks to Risto Juola for preparing the recordings and podcasts for publication.