Pornography and violence against women

Tracy Gilbert Excerpts

Monday 8th December 2025 Commons Chamber

[Tracy Gilbert (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab)]

We are approaching the end of the 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence as I rise to present this petition. I am very pleased that I am not alone in this place in calling for reform of pornography legislation, as we have seen an explosion in the availability of increasingly graphic pornography—content that is often procured through coercion and is fuelling sexual violence and violence against women and girls. The petitioners from my constituency

“therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government to extend safeguards applied to pornography offline to pornography…online; and to legally require all pornography websites accessed from the UK to verify the age and permission of every individual featured on their platform—and give performers the right to withdraw their consent at any time to the continued publication of pornography in which they appear.

And the petitioners remain, etc.”

Following is the full text of the petition:

[The petition of residents of the constituency of Edinburgh North and Leith,

Declares that pornography use is fuelling sexual violence; violence against women is prolific in mainstream pornography; and sexual coercion is inherent to the commercial production of pornography.

The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government to extend safeguards applied to pornography offline to pornography distributed online; and to legally require all pornography websites accessed from the UK to verify the age and permission of every individual featured on their platform—and give performers the right to withdraw their consent at any time to the continued publication of pornography in which they appear.

And the petitioners remain, etc.]

[P003142]