WI hit squad tour brothels

12:33pm Monday 23rd June 2008

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By Will Carson »

A HIT squad of Women's Institute members scoured Hampshire's streets and brothels on a campaign to legalise brothels in the county.

Women from Hampshire WI group "kerb-crawled" through Southampton streets as well as visiting some of the county's estimated 600 brothels to see the "horrendous" working conditions for prostitutes.

The women were so shocked at what they found they have launched a campaign to highlight the plight of Hampshire's prostitutes.

As part of their campaign the women have also travelled around the world to investigate prostitution in other countries.

The movement has been spearheaded by WI member and advisor Jean Johnson, and has won the support of more than 7,000 WI members nationwide.

The 62-year-old said: "Before embarking on our campaign we carried out lots of first-hand research.

"One of our team members went in to brothels in Hampshire to see first hand the working conditions these girls are faced with.

"Other members and I effectively kerb-crawled through Southampton.

"What we saw was absolutely terrible - it was heartbreaking.

"We saw lots of girls on the streets, working in the most terrible situations.

"I saw two young girls working in one of the most horrendous parts of the city near an industrial area.

"The myth of prostitutes wearing short skirts and low cut tops is totally false - they were just wearing ordinary clothes, but they were in a desperate situation.

"If anything had happened to them, no-one would have known.

"There was another girl who was addicted to drugs, who felt she had to continue working as a prostitute to fund her habit.

"Sadly a lot of girls on the streets are addicted to drugs, probably as a direct result of their work.

"From there it is a downward spiral and there's no-one there to help them."

Investigate laws In April, Jean and fellow WI member Shirley Landells set off on a round-the-world trip taking in Holland, the USA and New Zealand to investigate the effects that local laws have on prostitution.

"The approach taken in New Zealand was the best we found," Jean explained.

"Instead of criminalising men who visit prostitutes, they are decriminalised.

"This stops prostitution being driven underground and into danger.

"That is what we would ideally like to see happen in the UK.

"We certainly don't condone prostitution, but whatever people think about it it is not going to go away."

To generate support for their campaign, the team held a rally in Southampton on Saturday.

WI members took to Watts Park in a motorhome - dubbed the Best Practice' mobile brothel - to explain how brothels could be made much safer.

Sex trade expert and leading academic Belinda Brooks-Gordon described the campaign as "hugely admirable."

She said: "The campaign follows everything that research has proven - that the decriminalisation of prostitution makes it safer for the girls working in the sex industry.

"Many want to be able to work safely and have the freedom to work for themselves.

"What Jean and the Hampshire WI are doing is hugely admirable."

Cari Mitchell, of the English Collection of Prostitutes, added: "We have been pressing for the decriminalisation of prostitutes for 40 years.

"We are delighted that the Hampshire WI is pushing their campaign forward, and most importantly that they are putting the women's safety first."

The ground-breaking campaign will be the subject of a Channel 4 documentary to air later this year.