The regulation of prostitution in The Netherlands - analysis

1. The regulation of prostitution in The Netherlands - analysis Karin Werkman November 2012 Conference onViolenceagianstWomen and Prostitution, Nicosia, Cyprus

2. Belle Respect sex workers all over the world

3. Lifting of the ban onbrothels 2000≠ legalisation of prostitution Lifting of the ban onbrothels 1911 = legalisation of brothels and pimping Introduction of distinctions: forced / voluntaryprostitution; prostition / trafficking Goals: state control & improvement of ‘workingconditions’

4. Six main goals: • the control of the exploitation of voluntary prostitution; • the improvement of the combat against the exploitation of coerced prostitution; • the protection of minors from sexual abuse; • the protection of the position of prostitutes; • to disentangle the ties between prostitution and criminal peripheral phenomena; • to reduce the scale of prostitution by illegal foreign nationals.

5. Impact - studies Baseline study 1999: • brothels present in 30% municipalities Rotterdam 2006: • > 50% of women ‘workillegally’ • Workingillegally = • forced to work; • noresidency/illegal status; • minors (<18yrs old); • working in illegalsexestablishments.

6. DSP-Group 2006 on municpalities • 68% municipalities have policy on brothels • 30% brothels in violation of policy past 5 years • 49% mention fight human trafficking in policy • 6% muncipalities offer exit programmes

7. Impact – studies. DPS 2006

8. Evaluation Daalder 2007 6 main goals: • Voluntary: majority industry outside gov control • Forced: ‘impossible to comment’ • Minors: ‘scarcely encountered’ • Conditions: emotional well-being decreased on all accounts; use of sedatives increased; high demand for exit, but no possiblities • Separation: ‘impossible to comment’ • Illegals: somewhat succesful: 2004 EU borders

9. Impact - studies KLPD 2008 ‘Keeping up appearances’ • Sneep-case • 50-90% ‘work involuntarily’: • At least 4,000 women Amsterdam.. RIEC 2010 • Analysis 2,600 advertisements • 17% advertisements sex industry originate from licenced brothels

10. Emergo – Amsterdam 2011 • Half of bussineses in Amsterdam red light district has one or more managers with criminal record

11. Law proposal 2009-present • Permits all sex industry • Registration women • Buyers of unregistered women criminalised • Zero-option • Minimum age 18 – 21 yrs old • Register suspicion of trafficking

12. Legalisation = normalisation • Buyers website: 25,000 women in prostitution 150,000 ‘customer reviews’ 500,000 unique visitors 8 million page views • On 30 October 2012 new ‘world’ record with 3,992 unique visitors at one single moment…

13. Buyers in the Netherlands • Openlyparticipate in policymaking; • Openlyadvise the government; • Lobby in parliament; • Assist the police; • Lecture in university, appearon nat TV. Senatemajority and public opinion are opposed to responsibilityforprostitutionbuyers, for the policeneeds support frombuyers to fighthumantrafficking.. ?

14. Legalisation = normalisation • ‘prostitution = sex work’ • Is it work? • ‘fair trade’ labels • Sex tourism is tourism.. Advertise unique attraction on government websites.. • Or paying pimps to leave the city ?

20. Conclusion Impact of legalisation: • Improve women’s lives? • Fight trafficking? • Not making things do ‘underground’? • Normalisation Solutions: • Push legalisation further; • Or punish the buyers?

21. Opzij enquiry • 77% support criminalisation of buyers of underage women / trafficking victims; • 71% criminalisation of pimping; • 59% of female respondents disagree that prostitution is a normal profession and a choice.

22. Thank you for your attention!