[Brussels, 28 June 2013] The European Women’s Lobby is delighted to share with you this very good news about Ireland: the Irish Parliamentary Committee on Justice issued a report today recommending the criminalization of the buying of sex.
In its “Report on the Review of the Legislation on Prostitution in Ireland”, the Committee recommends that provision should be made in law for a summary offence penalising the purchase of sexual services of another person by means of prostitution, or any request, agreement or attempt to do so. It should at the same time be clarified that no offence is committed by the person whose sexual services are sold, the Committee says.
See the press release from the Committee here.
The Irish coalition of NGOs, Turn Off the Red Light, and its 65 members, has been instrumental to raise awareness on prostitution as a form of violence and an obstacle to gender equality. Turn Off the Red Light is a partner of EWL campaign ‘Together for a Europe free from prostitution‘.
In a press release, Ruhama and Immigrant Council of Ireland, two of their founding members and members of the EWL, say: “Recommendations on future laws on prostitution have given Ireland a real opportunity to put human traffickers and pimps out of business.”
You can listen to Nusha Yonkova, Anti-trafficking Project Coordinator at the Immigrant Council of Ireland, on the Irish TV (at 57’).
This important day also belongs to the survivors of prostitution, who have been very brave in reliving their stories to ensure that justice prevails. You can read here the story of Rachel Moran: “The myth of the happy hooker”.
The EWL would like to congratulate all Irish NGOs for their wonderful work in bringing the voice of women’s organisations, front-line organisations and survivors to the public sphere, so that abolitionist policies are at last understood as the best way to tackle the system of prostitution.
