defend the rights of residents in the area.
Prostitution in the area is on Ine increase because there are more and more women coming aown the area from the north of England main v because of unemployment and low standards of living generally but also because of all the events around the Yorkshire Ripper and what the women felt.
Of the prostitutes I've talked to many have young KIOS — Iney want a beller life than what they've had TOT LneT •KIC they want the financial security LOT LOCK. Manv of these women are thirty vears old and some are only fifteen to sixteen years old.
They all point out that prostitutes and the there are certain things they will not do in the job an unar more oner nan not intercourse is not even Tectured ~ Lal S WEV JOI them easy money occaust they have to do very little and they get more money than most women could earn elsewhere.
So were the residents objecting to in Kings Cross?
Well, a variety of things -some said that the increase in prostitution in the area undermined the moral standards in the area, creased violence and noise the streets, attracted pimps and kerb crawlers into the area, other women's lives harder their point on many issues but also seeks to defend the rights of and to take the woman's point of view.
For example, the residents put forward whole series of demands through neir oreansa tions to the council asking TOT presence, more money inHOUSES playspaces. jobs the area a law against kerb crawlers and the redirection of traffic.
The counci agreea on redirection of traffic because noisy there anyway and agreed to put to million into improving the area but on the other ISSUCS the working group took a different approach.
They were concerned money in his pocket! Problem the Women's Committee wants is for the mediately, to calls either from residents who are being nass ed the prostitutes themselves who nol are victims of noise pimps and clients.
But this means that councils have to demand more control over the police in general not just on policy operational challenge their role because. they've never seemed too interested in the past in what hap. whether prostitutes or residents.
This is why the work of the Police Committee to monitor the police will be Women's Committed thi important be working through it. The working VIC W sion onto the prespree, sion onto which is what the residents demands would have meant. Similarly the council does not want to evict any women because she is a prostitute if she is not living in the flat but merely using it for business when it could be housing a family then that's different but because they are a proIn Germany and Holland aren't there brothels?
Yes, but in Germany over per cent of the prostitutes won l register!
State control of this kind is needed fact the less state control une better decriminalisation - thạt is of doing away with all laws because the framework of the law is to punish the women, whereas decriminalisation will get prostitutes out of the ghetto and also out of the vicious circle which exists for many who want to come off the game but find themselves fines to pay oft or throwi into prison so they have to go back on the game This is not just a local ASSH latlulla issue and it's an issue of WEEK saw parliamentary rights. John the defeat of his 1980, amazingly Members' ballot again this year. Immediately either last one.
However, be 'very loathe attempt.
tually from the House of Lords 'risk' 'non controversial' issues.
restrict the rights of women.
The pro-choice sures a woman's right to choose.
NAC/LARC 22 November 7.30pm, Courty Hall, SEI.
Sottallet Challenge 20 November La whole. It could be goo lo set Camden Council spreading the campaign on a national level as well.
The prostitution working group is just beginning to tackle all these ISS US and are working out more Drovusal policing; dealing with kert Crawicis. decriminalisation evictions The and Women's Committee is discussions residents too. and we're hoping to eventually have joint discussions to 'women's point of view' which all women ir the area can agree on.
Next meeting of the ProstituWorking Group 7i Tonbridge S New Attacks on the renewal of attacks on abortion who many had thought had disappeared forever after anti-abortion bill in topped the Private rumours circulated in parliament that he intended to introduce anti-abortion Bill presumably a more limited Bill which would be easier to get through than the Friday's Guardian reported that Corrie 'would definately not introduce a bill to tighten up the abortion law' He explained that this was because he would indeed to put my family through the anguish which they had to go through when I introduced an abortion bill'. Presumably he remembered the enormously successful campaign which defeated his last Unhappily, even if Corrie does not evenintroduce another anti-abortion bill there is no shortage of anti-abortionists in parliament. A very serious threat has come A Bill introduced by Lord Robertson of Oakridge had its first reading. If passed it would mean that there would have to be a 'serious' risk to the life of the mother before an abortion could be performed — at the moment the '67 Act states that there has to be a The effect of this amendment would be to seriously restrict the number of abortions. The threat is all the more serious because it has been introduced into the Lords and not into the House of Commons. A Bill's passage is usually easier in the Lords because it is supposed to be used only for changing the law on As we know, abortion is one of the most controversial issues in Britain. So here we have yet another undemocratic manoeuvre to campaign have been organising against this bill. But once more this attack underlines the fact that even the limited 1967 act will always be under threat — and that what is needed is a bill which en• Trade Union Liaison Committee open meeting on 'Which way forward for abortion'. Monday