How to respond sensitively to migrant women involved in selling or exchanging sex:

• Challenge any stereotypes in others and in yourself about migrant women’s reasons for selling sex: women can have many reasons for their involvement, often linked to financial need, abuse, and the threat of exploitation, among others. Challenge stereotypes that reduce migrant women’s involvement to their ‘culture’, to ‘just a choice’ or to ‘taking advantage of the system’.
• Be aware that women come from different cultures and in order to build trust, it’s important to work with and understand specific cultural differences. Think outside the box and explore with her the activities and supports that make sense to her and that will help her feel validated and supported.
• Once trust has been built, have open conversations with the woman about her involvement and offer to explore alternatives if she wishes to. It can take time for any woman to open up about her experiences of selling/ exchanging sex – for a migrant woman it might be even harder if she is not aware of her rights and has concerns about possible impacts on her immigration status and her ability to stay in the UK.
• When providing support, understand that migrant women’s experiences of violence very often will have involved discrimination or racism. Make sure the support you provide gives women the space to discuss those intersecting experiences and be prepared and equipped to respond appropriately.
• Always check that women feel comfortable with the support worker they’ve been assigned: do not assume that a woman prefers to have a worker from her same or opposite ethnicity, nationality or even religion. Check what her preferences are so she feels confident and safe to share her experiences.
• When involving interpreters or mediating conversations with third parties, ensure the interactions are directed at the woman: empower women to be in control of the service they’re receiving and the conversations they are part of. This includes making sure that workers and services always direct themselves to the women, even when a support worker and/or interpreter are mediating the conversation.
• Ensure women fully understand the information that is being communicated to them: when advocating for a woman, always double-check that she has understood the information she’s receiving in conversations or in writing. Even if she is fluent in English, it’s important to be clear as women might not always feel confident to say that they have missed or misunderstood the information.
• Make sure women feel respected in every aspect of who they are: migrant women might have faced discrimination and exclusion whilst navigating services in the UK. Make sure you are culturally aware and are respectful of her culture and beliefs. Give the woman time and make sure she feels in control and at the centre of the support she is receiving from you.
• Connect women with good quality immigration advise from trusted providers. If a woman is worried about her immigration situation, good legal advice is essential, so she is clear about her rights and options.
• If a woman is considering stopping her involvement, know that she may face additional barriers due to having reduced support networks and connections in the country. Discuss a referral to specialist services and offer to put her in touch with a trusted immigration solicitor.
• Recognise that some migrant women will be experiencing isolation due to a lack of supportive networks and familiarity with community norms. Thus, seeking support from family, friends or the community might not be possible. Explore with women opportunities to make new supportive connections so she can build her own network.