Tuesday 8 March 2022

Claudia Clare: Survivors and Fighters Talk, Fore Street Library, Edmonton, London N18





Fore Street Library, Edmonton, displayed five pots from 'And the Door Opened,' on December 9th 2021. 

I was invited by Cellina Doswell, chair of REACT Edmonton, the local residents association to talk about the project with women@thewell . The area has, in the last three years or so, been targeted by pimps and traffickers who are bringing women into the area and sexually exploiting them as well as targeting local young women and girls for the same treatment. 

Life has become very difficult for people living in the area, especially the women, who are constantly harassed particularly when on their way home in the evenings. 'Fore Street for All,' is a local initiative, a partnership between Fisher Cheng architects, Artist Hive Studios, REACT Edmonton and Enfield Council to 'reclaim the night economy,' and bring people back on to the streets at night. 

Cellina Doswell and REACT are keen to find ways to support the women who are being brought into the sex trade and are interested in finding out more about how that can be done. We desperately need properly funded and resourced support for sexually exploited women and girls in Enfield and Haringey so I'm hoping we may be able to set up a local support and exiting service that can provide the practical solutions to the many interlocking problems that build up for women in this situation.