Petition against Child Prostitution and Sex Tourism

At the European Area Seminar of the World Federation of Methodist and Uniting Church Women which took place in Dublin in August 1993 Women's Network was made aware of the horrific rise in child prostitution and sex tourism. A campaign was instigated and a petition circulated, requesting the British and Irish Governments to take action to end this trade.

At the Vision of Peace celebration in 1994 almost 100,000 signatures were presented in the presence of the World President of the World Federation. The petitions were later taken to the British Government at 10 Downing Street.

Women's Network worked together with the Coalition on Child Prostitution and Sex Tourism which included groups such as Amnesty International and UNICEF. A further petition was raised in 1995 and again presented at 10 Downing Street. On 10 July 1996, after much campaigning, the British Government announced that legislation would be forthcoming to put in place extraterritorial laws to prosecute British Nationals found guilty against committing sexual offences against children in other countries.