\n The Scottish Government\u2019s Delivering Equally Safe fund backs more than 100 organisations tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG).\n<\/p>\n
\n The Equally Safe strategy defines prostitution as a form of commercial sexual exploitation and violence against women. Laura Baillie, political officer at Scotland for Decrim, told The Herald some in the women\u2019s sector who receive the funds do not agree with this.\n<\/p>\n
\n It is understood that applicants must demonstrate their work aligns with the strategy\u2019s goals of preventing and eradicating VAWG. Ministers have now stated, however, that funding is not conditional on organisations taking a policy stance.\n<\/p>\n
\n Organisations in receipt of funding include Rape Crisis Scotland, Engender, Close the Gap and Women\u2019s Aid.\n<\/p>\n
\n Speaking at the event, Ms Baillie said: \u201cI\u2019m thinking of our comrades in the women\u2019s sector tonight who could not be here due to fears that it would jeopardise their funding.\n<\/p>\n
\n Campaigners and MSPs including Maggie Chapman and Mercedes Villalba who oppose Ash Regan’s bill. (Image: Nix Renton)\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cWe have many allies in the women\u2019s sector who do not agree with this but cannot speak out due to the very real fears that they would no longer be eligible for funding and would therefore have to close. It is outrageous that government money is being used to stifle debate in this way.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n Responding to the claims, Alba<\/a> MSP Ash Regan \u2014 who resigned from the Scottish Government as community safety minister due to the Gender Recognition Reform Bill \u2014 said it was \u201codd\u201d to suggest she had any influence over funding decisions.\n<\/p>\n \n \u201cIt is a very odd suggestion that a minister who resigned from Government on principle and later left the governing party would be \u2018pulling the strings\u2019 of who receives government funding,\u201d she said. \u201cIf that were the case, then the Government would have surely legislated for this bill when I had it on the year four plan as a minister.\n<\/p>\n \n \u201cIf I had such powers, government funding would look very different and would be founded on value for public money, with success criteria based on the outcome of its impact on the public good in Scotland.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \n READ MORE:\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \n Ash Regan: \u2018I won’t hide from prostitution issue like other MSPs’<\/a>\n<\/p>\n \n Regan Nordic Model Bill ‘targets demand, protects women’<\/a>\n<\/p>\n \n A Scottish Government spokesperson said: \u201cWe fund more than 100 organisations to support the delivery of Equally Safe including those working with women that have experienced commercial sexual exploitation and that funding does not have conditions on providing views on issues of policy.”\u00a0\n<\/p>\n Proposed legislation\u00a0<\/p>\n \n Currently, it is not illegal to buy or sell sex in Scotland, but activities such as brothel-keeping and loitering are criminalised.\n<\/p>\n \n Ms Regan\u2019s bill, which is at stage one in the Scottish Parliament, seeks to introduce the so-called Nordic model. It would criminalise the purchase of sex while removing the offence of soliciting to sell sex.\n<\/p>\n \n She believes her proposals \u2014 based on the Nordic model of targeting sex buyers \u2014 will shift the blame from those involved in prostitution to those seeking it out.\n<\/p>\n \n This model is in effect in Sweden, Norway, Iceland, France, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Canada and Israel<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n \n The MSP argues this approach would quash historic convictions and create a statutory right to support for those in and exiting prostitution.\n<\/p>\n Support for the bill\u00a0<\/p>\n \n Supporters, including 24 MSPs from across parties, argue the measure would reduce demand and protect women.\n<\/p>\n \n SNP<\/a> MSP Michelle Thomson, who supports Ms Regan\u2019s bill, told The Herald: \u201cWomen will never have equality when they are commodities to be bought and sold for money and to satisfy men\u2019s demand.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \n \n Other MSPs such as Labour\u2019s Rhoda Grant are backing the proposals. More than ten years ago she brought forward similar legislation, but it failed due to lack of support.\n<\/p>\n \n Ms Regan said her bill has been created from years of engaging with \u201cboth those in and survivors of prostitution\u201d.\n<\/p>\n \n Supporters also include Fiona Broadfoot, chief executive of Build A Girl UK, who was in prostitution from the age of 15. She described her experience of the sex trade in saunas in Edinburgh<\/a> in her early twenties.\n<\/p>\nMichelle Thomson SNP MSP (Image: Andrew Milligan\/ PA)\n<\/p>\n