Armed forces implement prostitution ban

Britain's armed forces have introduced a ban on soldiers using prostitutes when overseas for the first time, in order to help stamp out sexual exploitation.

Under the new rules, personnel who are found to have payed for sex could face dismissal, and prosecution if in countries where prostitution is illegal.

The Ministry of Defence policy, Zero Tolerance to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, says: “When undertaking defence activity outside the UK, defence people are prohibited from undertaking transactional sex at all times.”

Transactional sex is defined as “paying or offering to pay for sex or other sexual services including payment in kind”, and the ban applies regardless of whether prostitution is legal or illegal in the country forces are in.

CARE is campaigning for legislation criminalising the purchase of sex to be introduced across the UK, following the roll out of a policy in Northern Ireland.

Alongside other groups and women's activists, CARE argues that exploitation is most effectively undermined when demand for sex is tackled.

To find out more about our work in this area, visit our cause page: CARE for Commercial Sexual Exploitation