Commercial Sexual Exploitation
This Cross-party group's purpose:
We understand CSE to be a function of gender inequality, and a form of gender-based violence. We work to the Scottish Government’s National Violence Against Women and Girls Approach, Equally Safe, and their definition of Violence Against Women, which includes prostitution, pornography, trafficking, lap-dancing, stripping, pole-dancing and table-dancing as forms of commercial sexual exploitation. We believe that these activities have been shown to be harmful for individuals involved and can have a negative impact on the position of all women through the objectification of women’s bodies. It is essential to separate sexual activity from exploitative sexual activity.
We promote the pursuit of legislation which prevents and challenges demand for commercial sexual exploitation.
Therefore, we support a change in the current legislative balance of criminalisation, from prosecuting/penalising/criminalising those individuals who have been exploited in prostitution towards a challenge demand approach: penalising those who create the demand (purchasers).
We believe the law should support those involved in selling sexual activity in exiting/planning to exit prostitution.
Get in touch
If you want to get in touch, you can contact Rhoda Grant MSP and Ruth Maguire MSP
Address: The Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh, EH99 1SP
Phone: 0131 348 5240 Find out about call charges.
Involved in the group
MSPs, individuals and organisations who participate in and support this group.
Current Members
Rhoda Grant
Co-Convener
Party: Scottish Labour
MSP for: Highlands and Islands (Region)
Ruth Maguire
Co-Convener
Party: Scottish National Party
MSP for: Cunninghame South (Constituency)
Jeremy Balfour
Member
Party: Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
MSP for: Lothian (Region)
Johann Lamont
Member
Party: Scottish Labour
MSP for: Glasgow (Region)
John Mason
Member
Party: Scottish National Party
MSP for: Glasgow Shettleston (Constituency)
Joan McAlpine
Member
Party: Scottish National Party
MSP for: South Scotland (Region)
Annie Wells
Member
Party: Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
MSP for: Glasgow (Region)
Non MSP Individuals
Catriona LairdAnn Hayne
Gunilla Ekberg
Heather Russell
Steve Rawbone
Hannah Sanderson
Susan Moffat
Marlyn Glen
Teresa Little
Bryan Little
Tony Martin
Diane Robertson Martin
Billie Wealleans
Organisations
ACTS - secretariat
Routes Out
Scottish Women’s Convention
LGBT Youth Scotland
The Salvation Army
Graduate Women Scotland
FiLiA
Women’s Equality Party
The Free To Live Trust
Scotland North Soroptimists
Nordic Model Now
Scottish Women’s Aid
Scottish Women’s Convention
European Network of Migrant Women
International Justice Mission
Community Safety Glasgow
The TARA Service
Women’s Support Project
Scottish Trade Union Congress
Notbuyingit
Soroptimist international
Cre8te
NHS Lothian
CARE
Zero Tolerance
UK Feminista
Space International
Evangelical Alliance
Say-Women
COSLA
Jubilee House
Not For Sale Scotland
Engender
Build a Girl
Wise Women
Equality NowWomen for Justice