Gender, power and the translation of English prostitution policy

My broad interest in this chapter is to discern how gender and power are implicated in the way in which prostitution policy emerges. I want to explore how the version of a policy that becomes authoritative ¹ may be related to the prevailing gender-power context in which that policy is considered and revised. I am using as a case study Clause 13, ² of the Policing and Crime Bill 2008–09, which proposed the criminalization in England and Wales of paying for sex ³ with somebody who is controlled for gain. Specifically, I am focusing on the application of ‘strict liability’ ⁴ within Clause 13 and how this was contested during the passage of the Bill through Parliament.