|
The situation for the
independents is becoming more difficult as the organised foreign
networks move in and and attempt to take over the streets. In some
locations there have been tense face-offs between French and foreign
prostitutes.
The French working girls complain their Eastern
European and West African counterparts undercut prices and siphon
off customers. The newer girls are also less aware of hygine and
health issues, making the working environment more dangerous for
everyone. And violence has increased dramatically.
Roughly half of France's estimated 15,000 prostitutes work in Paris.
And in July 2002, the office of Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe announced
an ambitious campaign to re-educate and retrain prostitutes to work
in more socially acceptable professions. There is talk of fining
and jailing clients and pimps. And the interior minister, Nicolas
Sarkozy, is on the record with a proposal to expel foreign prostitutes
from the country.
There is even a debate about reopening brothels which are currently
outlawed, but which, according to the defenders of the idea, might
make it easier to bust the illegal prostitution rings. Other advocates
of the brothel claim it would facilitate public health screening.
However, the women working the streets are skeptical. Many fear
that any of the proposals would only hurt their ability to earn
a living. The independent prostitutes are afraid of losing their
independence.
And their fear isn’t groundless. A proposal to create a new
offence called "passive soliciting," which could be interpreted
to mean loitering on a pavement in a short skirt, essentailly takes
away the legal status of independent prostitutes, threatening them
with up to six months in prison and a fine equivalent to a few thousand
dollars.
The new crackdowns have already pitted police against prostitutes
on the street. Some of the women complain that the cops have taken
away their condoms or even sprayed them with teargas. They say it
is the first time that they have felt targeted by the police who
have tolerated their presence here for years.
Earlier this fall the French Prostitutes' associations took their
concerns public, with large street demonstrations. They protested
that proposed laws make no effort to distinguish between the victims
of criminal gangs and women acting of their own free will. They
also pointed out that authorities are not doing enough to enforce
existing laws against the organised traffickers.
Understanding the Issue:
Prostitution: The
Debate
Prostitution: The
Clients' View
Prostitution: The
Traffickers
Prostitution: Busting
the Traffic
|
|
