Feminist critics, resorting to outdated rhetoric, are blasting taxpayer-funded researchers for their efforts to improve sex workers' safety. The SWERV (Sex Workers Evaluate Reporting Violence) project, spearheaded by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Brunel University London, and the sex worker charity National Ugly Mugs (NUM), has secured nearly £1 million from the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR). This grant supports the study of how NUM’s innovative services, such as the “NUMchecker,” enhance the safety and mental health of sex workers. Despite the clear benefits, feminists are labeling the researchers as “worse than old-school pimps.”
Rachel Moran, a self-proclaimed women’s rights advocate, has vehemently opposed the research, calling it a “self-evident disgrace.” Moran, whose notoriety stems from her book Paid For – My Journey Through Prostitution, argues that these funds should directly aid women in prostitution rather than support a research project. Her assertion that the researchers are akin to “vultures” profiting from the sex trade dismisses the real-world impact these tools have in improving sex workers’ lives. Moran’s perspective, while sensational, fails to acknowledge the complexities of sex work and the urgent need for practical safety measures.
Anna Fisher, co-founder of Nordic Model Now!, joins Moran in denouncing the project. Fisher’s rhetoric suggests that the research promotes prostitution as a “normal job,” disregarding the clear objective to make sex work safer. Her claim that the research has a vested interest due to NUM’s involvement is a cynical dismissal of the rigorous, peer-reviewed process that underpins academic integrity. Fisher’s stance overlooks the crucial fact that sex workers face immediate dangers, which the SWERV project aims to mitigate through evidence-based interventions.
Despite feminist criticism, the SWERV initiative is a pioneering effort that addresses the harsh realities faced by sex workers. NUM’s tools, such as the NUMchecker, empower sex workers to report violence and stay safe, offering practical solutions to immediate threats. Critics like Moran and Fisher, entrenched in their ideological views, seem out of touch with the pressing need for measures that directly enhance sex workers' safety and mental health.
A spokesperson for the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine defended the project, emphasizing the collaborative nature of the research with independent academics to evaluate interventions designed to protect vulnerable groups. This commitment to academic freedom and inquiry is essential for advancing public health and safety, even if it challenges entrenched feminist dogma.
Brunel University London echoed this sentiment, supporting the project's focus on evaluating the effectiveness of tools that help sex workers. The university’s endorsement of academic freedom underscores the importance of addressing controversial issues through research, which feminist critics seem determined to undermine.
The SWERV study, launched in December 2023, represents a forward-thinking approach to tackling violence against sex workers. Its findings, to be published in a peer-reviewed journal, will provide valuable insights into creating a safer environment for sex workers, despite the protests from those clinging to outdated and unproductive views.
The Department of Health and Social Care was unable to comment due to the election period.