In 2000, the Dutch "sex trade" was legalized. Twenty-one years on, how big is the impact?
Today in Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, you will see a surprising sight. After nightfall, the red lights on the streets are lit up, and the atmosphere is particularly ambiguous.
The window rooms on the street began to appear in revealingly dressed, sexy and attractive women. They constantly throw flattering glances at passers-by, especially men, expecting them to patronize them.
Such scenarios may be rare in other countries, but they are common in the Netherlands, where the sex trade is legalized. Here, any woman over the age of 21 can register with the government, then come to the red light district, rent a storefront, and start her own legal work.
Why is there such an outlandish rule as "legalizing the sex trade" in the Netherlands? Is there really no impact on such a country?
The Netherlands has a long history of the sex trade. In the 17th century, the Netherlands used the title of "coachman of the sea" to sail merchant ships to every corner of the earth.
Overdeveloped commerce has had many impacts on Dutch society. Many people engaged in the maritime trade are keen to enjoy some women's services after making a lot of money through risk. Coupled with the extravagance and waste of these people, the sex trade industry soon became prosperous.
Dutch Window for Traders
In fact, at a time when sex trafficking was rampant, the Dutch government tried to ban it like other countries. However, long-standing customs and unique social conditions have led to repeated prohibitions on the sex trade.
The Dutch government had no choice but to legalize it. In their view, instead of allowing the development of the trade to bring harm to society, it is better to think of it in a good way. In addition to better supervision and management, the government can also collect taxes to make money. The proposal to "legalize the sex trade" was proposed.
However, "sex" has always been a very sensitive topic in society. At that time, no country in the world dared to blatantly legalize such a transaction, and the Dutch government did not dare to take this risk, so the proposal was quickly rejected.
By the end of the 20th century, countries such as Spain and Germany had passed laws to legalize restricted sex trafficking. With several countries taking the lead, the Netherlands can't wait.
So in 2000, the government formally legalized the sex trade by voting. According to the law, sex traders are legal and protected by law as long as they strictly implement the trading regulations formulated by the state, pay taxes on time, and do not disturb social order.
Hard-working sex workers
As the world's first country to "fully legalize the sex trade", the Netherlands bravely took the first step. Is sex legalized justified? What impact can it have on society and the nation? Over the past 20 years, the Netherlands has provided partial answers to both questions.
After entering the new century, a large number of sex traders in the Netherlands began to move from behind the scenes to the front. Have obtained a business license from the relevant government department and hold a certificate. Then, open a shop in a convenient place, expose your clothes, attract guests, and get guests at the curtains.
Today, the sex trade in the Netherlands has become a long-established and large-scale industry. Correspondingly, the Dutch government's requirements for sex trafficking are quite mature. For example, in Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, there is a dedicated time and place for sex transactions.
Massive red light district
Traders are generally not allowed to operate from 6:00 am to 9:00 am. Because the working hours from 10 a.m. to 5 a.m. are relatively long, they are generally divided into day shifts and night shifts. Workplaces for sex trafficking are often in government-approved houses with windows facing the street.
During work, the cloth covering the front of these windows was torn and workers posed in the windows to attract the attention of tourists or guests. The streets are bustling with people, some stop to watch, some flirt through the glass, some turn around and go into the hut, and the whole neighborhood seems to be in an ambiguous atmosphere.
It's really just a way to trade sex in Amsterdam. The other is the so-called Red Light District. When night falls, these red-lit areas form a personalized trading supermarket with everything you need.
There is also a kind of trading in the Red Light District. Sex workers can perform a variety of erotic performances, allowing visitors to order programs, perform on different scales and charge for viewing time. Even in order to make the visitors have a better viewing experience, the staff will also open some VIP-like special rooms for visitors to watch.
Sex workers wear masks in protest
Since the sex trade in the Netherlands is so prosperous, who are the people in the Netherlands who are engaged in the sex trade? What is their living situation?
According to the survey, more than 90% of the workers engaged in the sex trade in the Netherlands are women, and a small number of men. Although they earn money every day, their living conditions are not optimistic.
Shop windows, workplaces for sex traders, need to be rented from the government, and the rent is expensive.
In order to reduce costs, many people will choose the way of sharing. The window area is not large, but also many people to share, the working environment can be imagined.
Finally, these sex workers have to pay a lot of taxes.
Early sex trading venues in the Netherlands
The boom in the sex industry brought a lot of money to the Netherlands. Amsterdam alone receives nearly 5 million foreign tourists who come here every year to watch the sex trade. However, the overly free sex trade also had a range of social impacts on the Netherlands, some good and some bad.
Let's start with the good impact. Under the protection of the law, sex trafficking has become a job option like other professions. It has solved many women's work problems and increased the employment rate of the country.
Second, the Dutch government has made a lot of money by providing a window for sex workers and increased government taxes.
In addition, the sex trade industry has also contributed to the prosperity of related industries. Industries such as catering, transportation, and hotels around the sex trade industry are rising rapidly.
These nascent industries, in turn, provide jobs for a large number of workers. In the long run, the employment rate in the Netherlands has reached an alarming level. This is one of the reasons why the Netherlands is one of the most developed countries in the world today.
A woman who engages in a sex trade
Finally, the legalization of the sex trade prevents many diseases. In the past, the sex trade was hidden behind the scenes, causing the spread of sexually transmitted diseases such as AIDS. Today, the government conducts medical examinations for workers at regular intervals, thus avoiding the spread of many diseases.
Well, let's talk about the bad impact.
After the sex trade was legalized, commercial profits surged and a large number of women abandoned everything to enter the industry. This has led to a rapid decline in the marriage and child birth rates in the Netherlands and a serious negative population growth.
In addition, the huge profits in the sex trading industry have begun to make many people desperate. They set up organizations, trafficked people, forced prostitution and forced women to engage in the sex trade. How serious is this situation?
Sex slaves who are trafficked
In 1997, the media exposed a case of female trafficking. In this case, a woman became a slave at the age of 19 and received 18 clients every night.
Traffickers abducted him from England to the Netherlands, forced her to inject intravenous controlled drugs through violence or mental and physical torture, infected her with drug addiction, and manipulated girls into trading.
This situation, after the legalization of the sex trade, increased rapidly. The survey found that the number of people trafficked in areas where sexual legalization was implemented was much higher than that in areas where sexual legalization was not implemented.
On the other hand, the surge in sex workers, even women from other countries, has also embroiled the industry, leading to lower prices of services. Many sex traders lose income or are even eliminated. These people are starting to become extreme, earning money by breaking the law.
In addition, many foreign women who come to the Netherlands to engage in the sex trade do not have residence permits in the Netherlands and are reluctant to register with the Government. They often work in one place for a while and then move to another. These sex workers have caused some confusion in society.
A sex trading venue under the COVID-19 pandemic
In fact, the serious impact of the legalization of the sex trade on the Netherlands goes far beyond that.
When the epidemic came, many industries have changed to an online work model. But this is simply not realistic for sex traders.
More workers are accustomed to making a living and have no interest in other low-income jobs. As a result, a large number of Dutch women began to lose their jobs. This, in turn, exacerbates social conflict and chaos. Even the government has begun to overhaul the sex trading industry.
It now appears that the legalization of the sex trade in the Netherlands does not seem to have any benefits other than boosting economic development.
What do you think about that?