NWCI has been part of the core co-ordinating committee of the Turn Off the Red Light Campaign (TORL) since its establishment in 2009.
TORL has been campaigning for Ireland to criminalise the purchase of sex as the most effective way to address prostitution as a form of violence against women and deter the trafficking of women and girls for sexual exploitation. The committee meets at least four times per year to plan activities to persuade government to take on this legislative model. TORL and its supporters made many oral and written representations to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Equality and Defence as part of the 2012 government review of the law on prostitution. In June 2013 the Joint Committee recommended to the Minister for Justice that he consider the option of criminalising the purchase of sex. This is a big success for the TORL campaign. TORL will continue to work on ensuring that this important recommendation is speedily translated into law over the next year.
