The Women’s Institute has vowed to help root out sleazy sex ads from local newspapes after a plea from womens minister Harriet Harman.

The WI said it was prepared to “name and shame” newspaper publishers which carry adverts that could involve trafficked women.

Campaigner Isla Arundell told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme the WI was planning to collate members’ findings for use next year.

Members will be looking for key phrases in sex ads and are invited to send letters personally to newspaper editors while the Women’s Institute HQ will be collating information centrally.

Isla told Today the WI had the option to “name and shame” newspapers which published such adverts although its “absolute focus” was on helping the women concerned.

“We want to raise awareness and spread the message about what is happening with these girls,” she said.

Ms Harman urged WI members to look through local newspapers to see if they carried the advertisements in a speech to its national federation yesterday.

“I hope that members of the National Federation of the Women’s Institute will help protect women from being brought here, from abroad, and being forced into the sex trade,” she added.

In February the Newspaper Society vowed to work with the Government to issue guidance to the local press and several groups including Newsquest and MEN Media have stopped carrying the ads.

Comments

Yourhavingalaugh (26/11/2008 18:47:11)
Newspapers have been carrying these ‘adds’ for years. They’re hardly difficult to spot, every major regional in the country has them under the heading ‘personal services’. If the WI really wanted to do something they’d remind the papers concerned of the hypocrisy of running regular stories on the trade, but still taking the money for the advertising.

John (26/11/2008 21:08:47)
Oh, the irony, “name and shame”!!Most papers will be glad of the publicity of being named and have no concept of shame.

Chris (27/11/2008 10:14:40)
The WI has no shame itself – have you seen the bloody reports they send in to local papers? Best decorated spoon anyone?

No Mark Sub (27/11/2008 15:36:14)
Harman should look at her own local paper first and ask them what the reasons are for taking those ads before shooting her mouth off and getting other people to do her work…