Say NO to Prostitution

Mount Mercy College, Model Farm Road, Cork, 2014

Say NO to Prostitution
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CATEGORY: Make Our World Fair and Just Challenge

The Idea

This project aims to increase awareness and understanding of the prostitution industry in Ireland. The team selected this issue as the members felt there is not enough information available to the public because it is still quite a taboo subject. 

The Action

During the course of the project the group made contact with many external individuals and organisations, including including councillors, senators, local and national media, the Rape Crisis Centre in Cork , Ruhama, the Immigrant Council of Ireland and other schools in the area.

After gathering all the information the team decided that the Nordic model where the purchasers of sex are criminalised is the way forward for Ireland. 

The team held a Day of Action on the 20th December 2013 to raise awareness among the wider public on the serious issue of prostitution. They contacted politicians and media outlets asking them to use their public status to show their support for our campaign through social media. The team received a huge response on Twitter and were featured on many websites such as the European Women’s Lobby Our project has been featured on the Immigrant Council of Ireland’s website along with the European Women’s Lobby website and the Rape Crisis Centre’s Facebook page. They  were also featured in an article in their local newspaper. 

The Impact

The teams have contacted airlines, airports and the Department of Transport asking that training of airport personnel include learning to recognise the signs of trafficking. The informative Power Point Presentation which the team researched and created will be copied onto CD’s and sent to every school around Ireland. There it will be presented to Transition Year students by their Guidance Councillors or through their Religion Department. The team aims for it to be officially introduced into the Transition Year curriculum. The presentation has been sent to 5 pilot schools and the aim is that it will be presented in these schools for many years to come. 

Award Winner
2014 Making Our World Fair & Just Award