Report finds the sex industry is undermining equality between women and men at work

The use of lap dancing clubs and display of pornography in a work context is a major new threat to women's equality at work, a report by the Fawcett Society has found.

The report, Corporate Sexism: the sex industry's infiltration of the modern workplace, was launched on Thursday 17th September at an event hosted by BT, with Harriet Harman QC MP, Minister for Women, the key-note speaker.

The report’s findings include:

• 41% of UK lap dancing clubs directly target employers through marketing on their websites (4)
• 86% of lap dancing clubs in London provide ‘discrete receipts’ which enable employees to claim back expenses from their employer without it being evident the money was spent in a lap dancing club (5)
• Lads’ mags are displayed for sale purposes in over 50,000 workplaces. A content analysis of leading titles revealed all contained pornographic imagery. Yet there are no independent, compulsory guidelines regarding the display and sale of pornography, and no major retailer has a policy of covering up lads’ mags or putting them on the top shelf
• 26% of trade unions have received enquiries from members who have been exposed to the sex industry – including pornography - at work (6). Existing research has also revealed that 20% of men admit accessing pornography at work (7).

Fawcett’s research reveals that the use of lap dancing clubs and display of pornography in a work context is seriously undermining women’s status at work and is in violation of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975.

To download the report, follow the link below.

Listen to a discussion about the report on Radio 4 Woman's Hour

You can also read our press release by clicking here.

Launch attendees 

To see more photos from the event, click here to visit our Flickr page.