Scottish Women Against Pornography

Scottish Women Against Pornography

“Women need to stop taking avoidable personal risks, and take more political risks.”
- Susan G. Cole

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Notification that petition PE 752 will be heard by the equal opportunities committee.
Equal opportunities committee agenda Tuesday 2 November 2004

Not a garden shed! Full size

SWAP BRIEFS ALL MEMBERS OF SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT (MSP’S)

In 1999 Swap sent a briefing to every MSP on our proposals for alternative legislation on pornography:

1.The new evidence of pornography-related harm from:

  • social science and experimental psychological research in the USA and Canada
  • clinical work and research with sex offenders in the USA, Canada, New Zealand and the UK
  • the experiences of women and children survivors of pornography-related harm in North America and the UK
  • the results of government inquiries in the USA, Canada, Australia and the UK
  • judicial decisions in the USA and Canada

2. Why obscenity legislation is inappropriate and ineffective in dealing with the problem of pornography.

3. Proposals for a new progressive approach to legislating against pornography without censorship based on the evidence of harm.

4. A new harm-based legal definition of pornography.


There is a need for government action:

  • to encourage and support research in the UK on the links between pornography, sexual violence, child sexual abuse and the subordinate status of women
  • to formally review the current legislation relating to pornography
  • to find alternative forms of legislation against pornography based on the evidence of harm

There is a need for MSP action in support of:

  • sex discrimination legislation against pornography
  • using the race relations model to define pornography as incitement to sexual hatred and violence
  • a new harm-based legal definition of pornography
Official Scottish Parliament website
It's enough to make you sick....

Text of the Public petition PE752, presented to the Scottish Parliament by SWAP 29 June 2004

Statement in support of PE476, presented to the Scottish Parliament by SWAP 5 March 2002

Text of the Public petition PE476, presented to the Scottish Parliament by SWAP 5 March 2002

Article linking pornography to violence against women and children, - Joan Skinner 2003