Women in street prostitution are an invisible, overlooked group who are among the most marginalised on our streets. People think women choose to be street prostitutes, but it is not a life anyone would choose, it’s violent and dehumanising.

There is only one hostel in London just for women trapped in street prostitution. All 27 women in this hostel suffered abuse and neglect in childhood. None of them got the help they needed as young children. As teenagers, each would discover that alcohol, drugs or prescription medications could numb the paralysing anxiety, harrowing memories, night terrors and suicidal thoughts. They are self medicating for trauma, selling sex to finance their addiction. The trouble is that addiction, supported by working the streets, brings more abuse and violence, and women become trapped in a vicious cycle.

One of our therapists goes to the hostel each week to give the women the chance to break the cycle by discovering a positive way to overcome childhood trauma and become free of the mental health symptoms they have lived with for years. Over the years some of the women Street Talk has worked with in this hostel have made inspiring recoveries, leaving the hostel to live in a home of their own, overcoming addiction and bringing home children from foster care. One woman we worked with had been on the street for twenty years before she made her recovery, demonstrating that it’s never OK to give up on someone. 

Donations to this project will enable Street Talk to send therapists to continue to work with the women in this hostel to give them a chance to live safely and with dignity.