A campaign was launched in Amsterdam aimed at drawing attention to the recognition of sex work. The message of the campaign is "sex work = work". Sex workers want people to understand that they are doing normal and legitimate work, NOS reports.
The two week long camping consists of electronic posters at bus- and tram stops. The posters will be shown for ten seconds every minute in different places in the city center. In both English and Dutch, the posters read: "My body. My job. My choice."
Amsterdam coalition parties GroenLinks, D66 and SP want to move prostitution out of the Red Light District by issuing new prostitution permits for areas outside the city center. They hope that this will relieve some pressure on the busy city center, and make sex workers' lives easier and safer. But not all sex workers are pleased with his idea.
Sex workers from dozens of countries marched through Amsterdam on Tuesday to protest for better legislation for their profession. Worldwide there is not enough attention for the safety of sex workers, said Proud, the Dutch association for sex workers and the organizer of the march, NOS and Het Parool report.
The vast majority of people who work in the Netherlands' sex industry face some form of violence, mostly from customers, according to a study by Aidsfonds, Soa Aids Nederland and sex workers' interest group Proud, Het Parool reports.
Soliciting and street prostitution is almost non-existent on Amsterdam streets, Mayor Eberhard van der Laan wrote in a recent letter to the city council. But that doesn't necessarily mean that street prostitution died out in the city, only that its more hidden, a spokesperson for sex workers' organization Proud said to the Telegraaf.
A plan to encourage sex workers in Amsterdam's famed Red Light District to develop their chosen profession in a more entrepreneurial fashion by managing their own brothel took a big step forward after a feasibility study conducted by the city showed a good likelihood of success. "It is good for the empowerment of sex workers," Amsterdam Mayor Eberhard van der Laan said at a press conference on Thursday, praising the notion that more sex workers could gain more independence.
The VVD wants to introduce a "personal entrepreneurs license" for prostitutes so that they can work independently and thus be less dependent on the operators of window brothels and sex clubs
Proud, the association for sex workers, has filed a lawsuit against the city of Amsterdam on behalf of the at least 24 window prostitutes who are unable to use their workplaces in the red light district from today. Today, May 1st, the Netherlands celebrates Labor Day.
Triodos Bank may refuse opening an account for Proud, an association of sex workers, wrote Finance Minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem to parliament on Thursday. The bank gave sufficient reason in denying the organization access to its services, according to the minister.
The association for sex workers PROUD has organized a demonstration against the closing of window brothels in Amsterdam on Thursday, when Project 1012 appears on the City Council Agenda.
Tiriodos Bank refused to open a bank account for the interest group for sex workers PROUD, RTL reports. The bank informed PROUD of its decision in a letter.
