Women street sex-working in Bristol face increasing levels of harm. Already living with trauma, they are targeted by violent perpetrators and can face stigma when accessing victim care. But with the right support, these resilient women can begin to heal, pursue justice and regain independence.
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The women we meet are street sex-working to survive. Violent men exploit their isolation and need for money, subjecting them to physical assault, sexual assault and rape. Last year the number of incidents reported to One25 rose 56%. Following an attack, women often encounter stigma and the idea they are partially ‘to blame’. These experiences compound the trauma they are already living with: 91% have experienced domestic and/or sexual violence and 41% have told us they were abused as children.
Our services reduce risks to women’s safety and support their healing and resilience. Women can visit the nightly outreach van for safety alarms, alerts about perpetrators and emergency care. The daytime hub offers medical care to support physical, mental and sexual health, while caseworkers help with safety planning, reporting to police, and managing the emotional impact of violence. Through our advocacy work, we collaborate with other services to provide more joined-up care for survivors.
