Interviews
Name: Sarah Benson
Trinity Qualification: M.Phil. (2000)
Title: CEO of Ruhama
About: Sarah Benson, a strong advocator for women’s and girl’s rights, is the CEO of Ruhama, a not-for-profit organisation working with women affected by prostitution, including victims of sex trafficking. Sarah has also been a Director for The National Women’s Council of Ireland for over four years has worked in the not-for-profit landscape for over 20 years.
What is your strongest memory from your Trinity days?
Really finding my feminism.
What has been your greatest challenge working with women affected by prostitution, including victims of sex trafficking?
These topics are socially challenging and there are often competing discourses in play which mean that there is something of a constant debate going on. A key focus in my work has been to try and open up considered discussion about the issue of prostitution in particular: how it impacts on women and girls human rights and negatively impacts gender equality. A lot of pat phrases (like “prostitution is the oldest profession…”) get put into the public domain but are not generally interrogated, and often ignore the lived experiences of the majority who are prostituted and trafficked, and the existence of massive criminal and vested financial interests involved in the sex trade. I find that when I can engage with people in more than a 140 characters tweet, I experience dynamic, nuanced and usually positive engagements.
What has been your proudest achievement so far?
That’s difficult to answer. From a services perspective, every time a woman we have been supporting achieves her primary goal, (whether it’s a degree, a new home, a new job, or overcoming her PTSD and simply smiling when we meet) is amazing. But that is her achievement, not mine to claim. I am most proud to be part of a dedicated team, and to have played a role in a broader alliance which was instrumental in achieving the decriminalisation of women in prostitution and refocusing the law onto the source of demand: the sex buyer.
What gets you up in the morning?
I love my job and I particularly love working with others. There is always more to achieve and overcome, but engaging with a team and a network that can make a positive difference is a great prospect to get up to every day.
What advice would you offer Trinity students that aspire to work for the betterment of women’s and girls’ rights?
Get involved. Volunteer. Ask questions. Interrogate what truly upholds women’s and girl’s human rights and equality. Don’t be afraid to challenge the dominant discourse.
What is next for Ruhama?
On a policy level, we are very focused on ensuring positive implementation of the new legislation in the Sexual Offences Act 2015: to ensure that individuals who are in prostitution are no longer targeted for any kind of criminal sanction and that the organisers and buyers of prostitution are instead the focus of the law. We are also expanding our services to offer more options to women affected by prostitution and sex trafficking: we are launching a three-year work placement project which is very exciting. We keep asking the women we work with what is most useful to them and we’ll keep learning, and adapting to meet those needs.