Jobcentre's Criticised For Stripper Advertisements

The Poppy Project, a charity that helps to prevent sex trafficking, has told MPs that Jobcentres have been advertising adult work - such as webcam stripping, lap dancing and escorting - to girls as young as 17.

Denise Marshall, director of the Poppy Project, said that the government could be forcing women into prostitution by allowing these roles to be advertised. She said: “It's the Government as pimp. It's just dreadful. I'm appalled that the Government is giving women an entrée into the commercial sex industry.”

Ms Marshall told the MPs that some women as young as 17 had been offered work as strippers and lap dancers through the Jobcentre. She said: “We have had contact with two 17-year-olds who have gone into the jobcentre and it brought up a number of vacancies. The jobs included webcam strippers, adult show hostesses and escort agency workers.”

Ms Marshall said that young people were able to access adult roles because the Jobcentre database fails to ask applicants to confirm their age. She explained that this could lead to some young girls being exploited, she said: “When you are offering £20 an hour to be a webcam stripper to a 17-year-old, the chances are they may be naïve.” In response to Ms Marshall’s claims, a Jobcentre spokesperson said the vacancies were clearly labelled as being unsuitable for under-18s.

Ms Marshall told MPs that a member of staff from the Poppy Project had accessed a number of adverts for adult work at Jobcentres around London, despite their protest against them to the Department for Work and Pensions. However, the DWP said that it was legally obliged to advertise adult vacancies after a 2003 test case brought by the Ann Summers chain of sex shops. After the case, the High Court ruled that job advertisements for legal work in the ‘sex and personal services industries’ should be allowed in Jobcentres.

After hearing Ms Marshall’s comments on this matter, many MPs expressed their concern. Labour MP Ann Cryer said: “I am not happy at the government promoting this sort of inappropriate work for women. I did not know this was happening and I hope the Jobcentres will rethink it.” Damian Green, shadow immigration minister, labelled the situation a “disgrace.” He said: “This is a disgrace, especially when a huge percentage of prostitutes in Britain are victims of human trafficking from abroad.”

Although Miss Marshall said she was not aware of any women becoming involved in prostitution from adult vacancies advertised in Jobcentres, she believes that it is only a matter of time. She said: “It hasn't happened yet, but it will.”

Source:

Daily Telegraph
Guardian