Newnight report on brothels

[itshardthinkingofanickname]

Worth £16 billion in Germany. Legal to "make it safer".

Interview with 22 yr old Hannah. 6 men per night, earns 100 to 1000 euros per night,

Talking about should it be illegal in the UK and the fact that brothels are safer than the streets. They have super brothels in Germany.

Don't they have 'tolerance' zones in some countries. The same could work over here, where women can go and work on the streets in designated areas.

I don't like the idea that any woman could be approached by a man offering to pay her for sex.

"Yes there have been incidents where things that have happened shouldn't, I can only put it down to the lack of safety where I'm based".

Lack of safety measures doesn't get you attacked. Violent men do. Men who feel entitled to do that because they've paid for access to your body.

Prostituted women are not in danger of violence because of a lack of safety measures. They are in danger of violence because of violent men.

Why should men be able to buy a woman's body to have sex on when we are not allowed to trade any other aspects of our physical bodies - organs etc?

Why is a woman's body able to be commodified in this way? Anyone who cannot see the problem with this is either (a) a misogynist or (b) deluded

But for someone on the outside it's too easy just to say 'well get a proper job' but it's not that easy.

Why is that Migsy - what is it about prostitution that keeps you stuck in it - in the UK in 2014 considering we have a comprehensive state welfare system?

Something that was said on one of the reports on German prostitutes was that none of the women, despite over ten years of decriminalisation, were open about what they did. Nobody puts it on their CV, there is just a big career gap there. Once you have a career gap with no reasonable explanation (and Germany is VERY officious about proof and paperwork so no fibs allowed), it will be a self-fulfilling prophecy that you won't get another job and will end up with a career with a downward trajectory in terms of earning money and earning respect.

But what is it that makes it 'not that easy' in your case Migsy?

I couldn't just stop working, because I owe money out to various people including my mate who I rent my room off, I know he wouldn't be over the moon if he came round one day and I told him I was off! If I didn't have these debts I'd be in a better position to stop. .

I don't have any skills or experience to do anything else and feel like I have a lot of stuff on my shoulders and I need to keep going until I have no debts and can walk away. I know I can't do this forever but there is a lot going on at the minute which other people don't know about.

Migsy, this friend of yours (how did I know it would be a 'he'?) has you trapped in prostitution. That's what pimps do to desperate women.

Can he really be called a friend if he has you trapped in this situation?

"Why should men be able to buy a woman's body to have sex on when we are not allowed to trade any other aspects of our physical bodies - organs etc?"

Prostitution can't be compared to selling a kidney. Workers are selling a service not themselves. Sometimes that service is to accompany a man to a show or out for dinner, sometimes it is to tie a man up and whip him, and sometimes it is for sexual services if both parties consent. At no time does the client "own" the worker or any part of the worker's body.

migsy the issues you mention regarding education, training, jobs, housing are all things which must be provided alongside the Swedish Model or it is just trapping women in poverty. Of course, since all main political parties accept austerity, they don't want to spend the cash. But we can't support Swedish Model without those exit facilities
Best wishes for the future

And actually, migsy, fuck your friend pimp. Why should you care if you leave him owing money - he's prostituting you fgs. I wish I could take you and your child and get you out of there.

How are you in such debt to him?

There is help out there for women trapped in prostitution. Real help - not platitudes from punter/pimp types about 'safer working conditions' or 'decriminalisation.'

Women's Aid, Rape Crisis, and there were a couple of others mentioned on the other thread - please do make contact with them.

What a load of mealy-mouthed bolleaux filxiler
God, it's amazing what people can justify to themselves isn't it?

migsy how would your friend react if you told him you were leaving prostitution and you'll be signing on until you find a job but you'll still pay him back?

You sound trapped at best but likely also coerced. Your pimp is tricking you onto thinking this is your free choice. He's no better than the boyfriend pimp who pretends he loves the woman.

How many men do you have to allow to have sex on you each day before you break even (ie to cover your rent, advertising costs, payments to your pimp)?

I couldn't just stop working, because I owe money out to various people including my mate who I rent my room off, I know he wouldn't be over the moon if he came round one day and I told him I was off! If I didn't have these debts I'd be in a better position to stop.

Migsy, we don't have to make a case for the damage that prostitution does to women. You have just perfectly made it yourself with that sentence. Please listen to the excellent advice other posters are offering.

You don't believe me that some clients pay escorts to accompany them on things like dinners? Some clients even take escorts abroad believe it or not (paying for their time and all their meals/travel/accommodation costs etc).

Exit facilities can also exist alongside decriminalization or regulation. The IKEA model isn't essential to have exit facilities for those who need them.

fil your Pretty Woman fantasies are irrelevant here. I'm sure you think it's hilarious to call the Swedish model the IKEA model but really it comes across as idiotic at best.

Your pimp lobby friends don't support exit strategies as it's just a job, right? No exit required. You're off on your own flight of fancy here, entranced by an idealised view of prostitution rather than the reality.

I'm talking about real life, not movies.

Your real life?

Migsy, call Women's Aid, number at the top of the page.

www.womensaid.org.uk/default.asp

Tell them mumsnet sent you. :)

Thank you, I will speak with someone, it's going to be hard though, I try not to think about stuff tbh.

In reply to the other questions, no he wouldn't be happy at all, I had 2 weeks off after my section in September and he was going on about me getting back to work.

I have to see around 6-10 men (depending on which service they want) to actually get a decent amount at the end of the day, it's tough work and if anyone said it's easy money I'd probably knock them into next week! I have only just finished and got my baby into bed.

I don't think my friend falls into the category of pimp, we even get intimate sometimes, so he doesn't beat me up or scare me into working, he's never threatened me but was there when I needed someone.