| A reaction to the murders of five women in Ipswich |
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Beautiful, vulnerable women. Just like your mother, wife, sister. Which is exactly what the women working the streets are – women. Sadly for most they’ve found a way to escape reality in drugs – in some way or another most have had tormented pasts. They feel like no-one cares – feel they’re not worth more than the life they lead. I don’t know one woman out there, including myself, getting into strange men’s cars night after night, who does so because she wants to. More to the point – she has to. Just so you’re aware of the danger/reality – three, four, five different men a night, driven to dark, lonely places, giving that man his satisfaction and all the power. Then dropped back if they’re lucky, to do it all over again. If they’re not so fortunate – beaten, raped, abused, killed. These men - husbands, fathers, businessmen, judges – respectable men, but people don’t want to see that. Society wants to ignore it. It’s a lonely, desperate existence for these women. And you think they want to do it, have a choice! Sadly, our society is ignorant of the reality of how many women there are out there. Women who were once vulnerable children, women with parents, women with children. People need to be made aware. I believe after the terrible murders of these beautiful women in Ipswich something really needs to be done. Help the women still out there risking their lives night after night. Help them to be safe. No, there is no miracle to make it all go away, but if people were more willing to listen, to understand, we as a society can make a difference.Give safe areas to work in. Listen to the women if they’ve been raped or beaten. The police need to take them seriously, just like they would any other woman who’s been raped. Put more lighting in areas where women work.Open more projects to help women who find themselves on the street. Give women who’ve ended up on the street selling their bodies (and more!) a chance – they deserve a chance just like anyone. Help them to be safe. How many more women have to die? You never know, it could be your daughter, wife, mother, sister out there – would you listen and help then??E |