Blog

Bestselling Crime Writer, Sheila Quigley, Discusses Her New Novel ‘Lady in Red’

May 26, 2014 // 2 Comments

Lady in Red is back to the Seahills and mainly back to the Lumsdon family who had centre stage in book one Run for Home, which has recently been made into a very successful stage play. It's every writer’s dream to see their work on stage, TV, or film, and the feeling was unexplainable, try laughing and crying at the same time, and it still won’t come close.

Feminist Activist & Author, Trista Hendren, Discusses Her New Book ‘Mother Earth’

April 29, 2014 // 8 Comments

As I began to heal my own life, I began to care much more about the Earth. There is a very real connection between the violence committed against women around the world and violence against the Earth. 'Mother Earth' explores some of those connections in words children and adults can absorb... I hope the book will be a discussion piece for the generations, which will spurn action.

APPG on Prostitution and the Global Sex Trade Report “Shifting the Burden” Increases Violence Against Women

April 18, 2014 // 16 Comments

With politicians' infamy for 'shifting the burden', this was not the best title for an All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) report. Chosen to reflect their recommendation of shifting the burden of criminalisation from the seller of sex to the buyer, in practice this fails as badly as when politicians endeavour a cover up - like why was this group funded by a religious anti-gay charity!?

In the Booth with Ruth – Rachel Kennedy, Author

April 12, 2014 // 8 Comments

I think I’m definitely most comfortable writing in the YA/fantasy genre, although at some point I would like to have a go at something a little different... I’d say it’s a case of sticking to what you know, subjects you can relate to. I read a lot of YA fiction and I love anything that falls into the fantasy genre... I guess I’ve written a book that I would buy myself.

Kent Police ‘Safe Exit’ Scheme Claiming to Help Women in Prostitution Instead Caused Them Harm

March 29, 2014 // 6 Comments

In 2009, Kent Police began a scheme in Medway called Safe Exit, supposedly to help women leave the sex trade by offering treatment for drug and alcohol addiction, training and education, and housing. These services along with others such as trauma therapy are needed by many women seeking to leave prostitution. But what our investigation uncovered was that instead of receiving these services, the women received a criminal record, a major obstacle preventing people leaving the sex trade by hindering other employment chances and keeping them trapped in prostitution.

Author, Fran Clark, discusses her debut novel ‘Holding Paradise’

March 24, 2014 // 5 Comments

My family came to London from the Caribbean and I grew up hearing about the island and all aspects of their lives and compared that to the way I was raised in London. I wanted to explore the different worlds and the seeds of...

26 March in Parliament, Stop the Criminalisation of Sex Work

March 19, 2014 // 2 Comments

An All-Party Parliamentary Group has just recommended changing the prostitution laws to criminalise clients. Criminalising clients will not stop prostitution, nor will it stop the criminalisation of women. But it will make it more dangerous and stigmatising for sex workers...

In the Booth with Ruth – Pye Jakobsson, Sex Workers’ Rights Activist from Sweden

March 17, 2014 // 12 Comments

I am concerned with labour exploitation in general. I have my doubts regarding if the trafficking terminology is really helpful... Without a clear distinction between sex work and forced labour we can never really address the exploitation that happens in the sex industry as well as in other industries...

MEDIA RELEASE: Drugs and HIV groups call on UK to reject United Nations drugs declaration | Harm Reduction International

March 16, 2014 // 3 Comments

Drugs and HIV groups call on UK to reject United Nations drugs declaration... Lack of co-ordination, leadership and transparency from Home Office, Foreign Office and DFID has played into the hands of hardline states such as Russia...

National Police Lead for Prostitution, ACC Chris Armitt, Discusses the Merseyside Model

March 10, 2014 // 6 Comments

I think any steps that are taken that enhance the police response to attacks on vulnerable groups such as sex workers are important... The Merseyside model aims to build trust and confidence amongst sex workers to report when they are attacked, which allows the police to identify and arrest dangerous people who pose a threat to the whole of society.

The Swedish Model Criminalising The Purchase of Sex Is Dangerous: The European Parliament Should Have Rejected It

March 4, 2014 // 16 Comments

In sound bites, the Swedish Government has been spinning their sex purchase ban, known as the “Swedish model” or sometimes the “Nordic model” though it is not adopted by all Nordic countries, as a success. However, research does not show it has reduced sex trafficking or sex work. In addition, their own police report demonstrates it has pushed prostitution indoors with nearly three times as many Thai massage parlours in Stockholm and the vicinity.

In the Booth with Ruth – Meg Munoz, Former Sex Worker, Trafficking Survivor, Ally and Rights Advocate

March 2, 2014 // 47 Comments

Too many human rights abuses are happening, too many opportunities being lost, and too many freedoms being denied... When you have those being trafficked being criminalized, we’ve got a problem. When you have sex workers being denied the full opportunity to engage, participate, and provide for themselves, something’s horribly wrong...

Policing Prostitution – The Merseyside Hate Crime Model That Prioritises Protection of Sex Workers

February 22, 2014 // 9 Comments

This joined-up approach prioritising protection over enforcement enables women in the sex trade to feel safe reporting crimes committed against them. Because trusting relationships with the police have been developed, reporting of crimes has dramatically increased. Women in prostitution in Merseyside know when they call the police they will be treated as any other victim of crime...

George Perez & Mohammad Maaty Discuss Their New TV Series ‘The Life’ Raising Awareness of Child Sex Trafficking

February 22, 2014 // 7 Comments

Since our goal was to shed light on a real issue happening in the present day, in order for it to have a realistic impact on our viewers we had to make absolutely sure that our stories were true. In other words...