Why we lit a candle for International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Sex workers

Over the years, with a sorry inevitability, the New Futures Project has had cause to highlight the violence so many of the women we see are subjected to.

International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Sex Workers, which takes place on Sunday, (December 17), is an opportunity to put the experiences of those women here in Leicester in the context of a global epidemic of murderous brutality.

In our case, we are leaving a candle burning in our drop-in room throughout today, (Thursday, December 14), before we partially shut up shop for the Christmas break. 

This is the part of our building in which women can take refuge from the pressures of everyday life, pick up some food and clothes, get a shower and relax among friends.

It’s also an opportunity for them to speak to our staff and volunteers about any problems they need help with.

This simple gesture is our tribute to the women we have lost over the years and to those who drop by our base in London Road bearing the scars of male violence. 

Speaking to the Leicester Mercury previously, our director Della Kagure Brown said the scale of the suffering was unbearable.

Della said: “A lot of the worst cases of violence don’t get reported to the police. There are some extremely violent and dangerous men who seem to be able to get away with it.

“They’re untouchable. Nothing sticks to them. They will kidnap women at knifepoint, beat them up and rape them and nothing ever seems to happen to them.

“We’ve even heard recently of people driving around in cars with children inside and they throw eggs at the women, basically people teaching their children how to hate.

“We’ve had reports of men threatening to pour petrol on women and telling them ‘if we see you in this street again you will burn’.

“We see the aftermath of all of this violence. It’s not just frustrating, it’s extremely upsetting when we see women in pieces, petrified and shaking with fear.

“Most have backgrounds in the care system and histories of bad parenting and neglect. There are so many sad stories.”

Earlier this year, one of the women we’re supporting told us that violence was never far away.

“I’ve been assaulted quite a few times. Most of the women I know have,” she said.

“One in particular should have stopped me working. A guy picked me up in Kent Street and said he was going to take me out into the country, a car park in Shady Lane.

“When we got there he said he had no money. He slapped me in the face and said ‘you’d better do what I say’.

“I said I’d do it but only with protection. It was not very nice. 

“Afterwards he drove off and left me there in the middle of nowhere. Most of the women have had that kind of thing happen to them.”

Carl Martin, direct services manager at the New Futures Project, said: “All too often we see this form of violence here in Leicester. We hope that, one day, it will cease to be an issue.”

“We will be showing our solidarity  with our sex worker community by burning a candle in our drop-in all day on Thursday the 14th.”

New Futures was set up more than 20 years ago to support women involved in sex work.

However, we have evolved into a welfare and counselling service for women and young people dealing with sexual abuse or exploitation – frequently involving domestic violence, trafficking, poverty and debt, substance use or mental ill-health.

Call us on 0116 251 0803 or send us a message at: info@new-futures.org.uk

You can find us at 71 London Road, Leicester, LE2 0PE.