68% of Irish sex buyers not deterred by harrowing story of sex trafficking
In response to hearing that a woman had been the victim of sex trafficking, one Irish man responded by asking: "Do you do everything? French kissing? Anal?"
This callous disregard for sex workers has been highlighted in a hard-hitting campaign which seeks to raise awareness of multi-city sex trafficking across Europe.
Coordinated by a number of European organisations, including Ruhama in Dublin, A Penny for Your Thoughts tells the story of a fictional prostitute named Andreaa, who reached out to the public for help after disclosing the heartwrenching details of her descent into prostitution.
A number of posters advertising Andreaa's number were placed in various spots around Dublin, and those who wished to avail of her 'services' were greeted with a voicemail message from Andreaa, who initially promised 'loads of fun'.
However; the message quickly alerted callers to the appalling situation Andreaa has found herself, and finished with a plea for help.
"I don't want to be here anymore, but I don't know what to do," Andreaa admitted. "What do you think? Please leave me a message and tell me."
Over the course of four days, the advertisement received 759 calls, 314 texts and 37 voicemails, with a staggering 68 per cent of callers happy to disregard Andreaa's plea for help, and turn instead to the services she provides.
According to the The Independent, Ruhama's Sarah Benson is adamant the reaction to Andreaa's story is indicative of the dehumanising nature of prostitution.
"We were immediately struck by the extent to which sex buyers saw ‘Andreea’ more as a service or a product, rather than an actual person," Sarah said.
“The language they used and the way they communicated with ‘Andreea’ just confirms to us the dehumanising nature of prostitution that so many of the women we support describe experiencing.”
"Prostitution and sex trafficking are forms of violence against women and girls, and Ruhama saw this campaign as the perfect opportunity to raise awareness of the exploitation and abuse that women and girls experience in Ireland’s sex trade."
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