Abuse of women in sex trade “a bit of fun”: Spotlight remains silent, continues to profit from pimp costumes

"Men can dress up as the men who beat, rape, abuse and murder vulnerable women and girls in the sex trade as though it is just a bit of fun or a laugh – enabled by you."

Back in July, we exposed craft and fabrics store Spotlight selling pimp costumes that trivialise male violence against women and girls in the sex trade.

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The retailer has failed to respond – even after we contacted Head Office by phone and email multiple times, and even after we published the account of a sex trafficking survivor who outlined how these products normalise the sexual exploitation of women.

It appears Spotlight has made a conscious decision to continue to sell misogynistic pimp costumes in their stores.

We’ve called on our thousands of supporters around the country to boycott Spotlight until they stop selling these products.

Below is an email to Spotlight from one of our supporters. (Spotlight did not respond to her email.)

Dear Spotlight representative,

I am a long-time customer, but recently I have been alarmed to see you are stocking Pimp costumes.

For the last 15 years, I have worked closely with survivors of commercial sexual exploitation, sold for sexual abuse. Some have been trafficked. Some were sold and abused as children. I have seen firsthand the devastating trauma to these women and girls and the challenges they face attempting to reintegrate into society.

Spotlight selling pimp costumes treats their abuse as a joke. Men can dress up as the men who beat, rape, abuse and murder vulnerable women and girls in the sex trade as though it is just a bit of fun or a laugh – enabled by you.

In 2008 in NSW, two Chinese women who were prostituted, given the names Jenny and Susan, were found dead with their throats cut. A pimp was heard boasting over their murders.

At a time when male violence against women has been declared a national emergency, with attitudes that trivialise or normalise this violence identified as known drivers, I ask you to please remove these costumes from your shelves immediately. Until then, I will not be returning.

I look forward to your response.

We also look forward to Spotlight’s response, while recognising that silence is in itself a response. In failing to address their promotion of male violence against women, and refusing to respond to complaints, the company is demonstrating its corporate values (or lack thereof) very clearly.

Read about Spotlight's history of promoting the sex industry.