Sexual exploitation of adults is systemic across our communities, but is a form of sexual abuse that is poorly understood and rarely recognised.

Funded by the National Lottery Community Fund, STAGE brings together charities Changing Lives, Ashiana, A Way Out, Basis Yorkshire, GROW, The Angelou Centre, Together Women and WomenCentre to provide trauma-informed support for women who have experienced sexual abuse by sexual exploitation across the North East and Yorkshire.

To date, we have supported over 500 women. For the majority, experiences of trauma and abuse started in childhood. It is well evidenced that adverse experiences in childhood can lead to lasting impacts on health and wellbeing, yet across statutory services we see a lack of understanding that the vulnerabilities of women who are being sexually exploited does not go away once they reach adulthood.

This webinar is the fourth in a series, and will explore the experiences of women who have faced sexual exploitation as they reach adulthood, and discuss what policy and practical measures can be taken to address the challenges they face.

Alongside learning from the STAGE project, we’re delighted to be joined by Sheila Taylor MBE, CEO of the NWG, (formerly The National Working Group for Sexually Exploited Children and Young People). Sheila has over 30 years of experience in the voluntary sector empowering young people to achieve against all odds, and in 2010 was made a Member of the British Empire (MBE) for her work with children who have experienced sexual exploitation.