Mags GarganOn its 25th anniversary, Mags Gargan examines the work of Ruhama in supporting women affected by prostitution
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the foundation of Ruhama, an NGO which works with women affected by prostitution and other forms of commercial sexual exploitation. It was founded as a joint initiative of the Good Shepherd Sisters and Our Lady of Charity Sisters, both of which had a long history of involvement with marginalised women, including those involved in prostitution.
Last week Ruhama launched its annual report which showed that over the last 25 years, the charity has assisted over 2,500 women affected by prostitution from over 60 countries.
“It is quite remarkable when we analysed our work over the past 25 years to see the number of women assisted by Ruhama and the range of nationalities which is indicative of the globalised sex trade which now exists in Ireland,” said Sarah Benson, Ruhama CEO.
“I am also struck by the many changes which have taken place in the Irish sex trade, particularly how it has become increasingly organised by criminal gangs and adapted to the use of modern telecommunications to operate. Yet, among all those changes, some things have not changed fundamentally – there isstill the persistence of harm, exploitation and risk which has always pervaded and which continues to pervade the sex trade.”
Safe place
Ruhama (Hebrew for renewed life) initially began as a street outreach service in 1989 with a van visiting red-light districts at night offering women a hot drink and a safe place to discuss their issues and problems, and to find advice and support.
From these modest beginnings, Ruhama has grown into an organisation with 12 staff, over 50 volunteers and a range of services. As well as the outreach service, it offers an in-depth casework service and a range of development programmes which help women leave prostitution, as well as support to an increasing number of victims of sex trafficking.
Ruhama’s services are as relevant today as when they first began and this year’s annual report shows another busy year with 305 women of 36 nationalities receiving support, an 18% increase on the previous year. Ruhama caseworkers delivered care to 219 women (an increase of 29%), of whom 83 were victims of sex trafficking, and 70 were supported through the dedicated street outreach.
When Ruhama was set up, most women involved in prostitution were on the streets, often to cover additional expenses for their families such as Christmas or first Communion. Generally from socially deprived backgrounds, with low levels of education and little marketable skills, they had few employment opportunities. Many had been brought up in care and had no family support. Rarely younger than their early twenties, their substance abuse was generally limited to alcohol.
Over the last 10 years, Ruhama has seen the profile of women in street prostitution change significantly. Some 95% of women in street prostitution are drug users – mainly heroin or cocaine. The incidence of homelessness has increased sharply and, while the age range remains broad, the numbers of very young women involved in prostitution has increased rapidly.
At the same time, indoor prostitution is growing and is predominantly controlled by organised criminal gangs. Lap dancing clubs, massage parlours and escort agencies have emerged and access to technology has brought prostitution online.
“There is a commonly expressed view that street prostitution is more dangerous than indoors, however this is not necessarily the reality,” Sarah Benson said. “The experience of women in indoor prostitution is no less dangerous and has added consequences. For example women discuss with us being in a constant state of tension because of the risk of something going wrong. They never know what is going to happen when there is a knock on the door. Women talk about being attacked and robbed by people pretending to be buyers, and another contributing factor for Irish women is the possibility of it being someone they know or a member of their family.
Exposed manner
“Women indoors sometimes have to spend the whole night with somebody, or much longer periods of time in a far more exposed manner. And critically victims of trafficking are predominantly exploited in the indoor sex trade.”
Ruhama has found that 99% of all the suspected victims of trafficking whom they have assisted were based in off-street prostitution, the majority last year from Nigeria and Brazil. The number of women involved in sex trafficking in Ireland is unknown, due to the secretive and highly organised nature of this business but, according to Ruhama, this island has become both a transit route and a destination point for sex trafficking, which extends across Eastern Europe, South America and Africa. Most tend to be young women from poor backgrounds who are sometimes abducted, but more usually duped into undertaking the dangerous and illegal journey to Ireland. Often their traffickers are partners or even members of their wider family.
“There are numerous criminal gangs, of many nationalities, organising and profiting from the prostitution of vulnerable women and girls right across the island of Ireland in urban and rural settings,” Sarah Benson said. “This small island remains a destination for traffickers, pimps and procurers from all corners of the globe.”
An important part of Ruhama’s work is supporting women to independence and leaving prostitution through a care plan. The organisation offers guidance counselling, computer classes, English classes, study support for third level students and housing and welfare support. By the end of 2013, 63 women had completed their care plans.
“The whole aim of setting up these classes and services was to open up choices for women. When you open up real choices and real alternatives, women choose to leave prostitution. Many, many women over the years have made that choice,” said Gerardine Rowley, policy and communications manager.
“It is not an easy choice, and not made overnight, but with enough support it is possible, and it is wonderful to know many women today whose lives are in a better space. We have women who have graduated from third level colleges, but we don’t gauge success on that, but on the confidence-building and self-esteem. It is about making choices about their own bodies and their own lives.”
Choice
Ruhama has found that engaging in prostitution is rarely a freely-entered choice. Most women involved in prostitution have backgrounds of abuse, drug use and limited income generation opportunities. None of the women known to Ruhama, including those who claim that their involvement in prostitution is voluntary, want their daughters to earn their living that way.
While it is primarily a frontline service, Ruhama also works to reduce the exploitation of prostitution and sex trafficking by campaigning for legislative change. It is one of the organisations behind the ‘Turn off the Red Light’ campaign to end prostitution and sex trafficking in Ireland, which is lobbying the Government to criminalise the purchase of sex. 2013 was an important year for this with the publication of the Oireachtas Justice Committee’s report on the prostitution legislation.
“This report was the culmination of an extensive consultation process, which Ruhama fed into through written and oral submissions. We specifically welcomed the report’s unanimous recommendation to criminalise the purchase of sexual services,” Sarah Benson said.
“If there are no buyers, pimps and traffickers do not have a market,” said Gerardine Rowley. “Law changes behaviour.”
Anyone who would like more information on Ruhama’s work can contact 01 836 0292.
In their own words…
“I want to be able to have control of my life again, by not being anxious, being hopeful. I feel so helpless sometimes and I want to be able to accept that whatever happened it was the past and I have a present and a future which could be brighter…”
“I did lots of courses in Ruhama and enjoyed them all. I found them very useful… they made me happy and I got to meet other women… and, yes, they made me feel more confident.”
“They helped me to find the house and they go with you to social services to register everything and sort out the financial stuff. They go with you to look at the house. And they give you help in settling down and getting started. I’m settled in my house now.”