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| (Photo: RNW) |
Praise
indeed for the way prostitution is organised in Amsterdam’s Red Light District.
The Cuban sexologist Mariela Castro Espín is pleasantly surprised by the
facilities that exist for window prostitutes in the Dutch capital.
This is an
entirely different message to the warnings issued by Amsterdam police and
politicians about the human trafficking that goes on behind the scenes of the
red-lit windows.
“Having
seen all this, I can only say how impressed I am by how sex workers can go
about their work in a dignified manner and command respect,” says Mariela
Castro, daughter of Cuba’s leader Raul Castro, after a tour through Amsterdam’s
infamous Red Light District.
Ms Castro
listens closely to health workers and former prostitutes explaining how things
are organised in Amsterdam. She is told that the local authorities offer health
checks, that the rights of the prostitutes are protected as much as possible
and that, since prostitution was legalised, the prostitutes have to pay taxes
like everybody else.
Abuse
Meanwhile
window prostitution is under attack. Shortly before Ms Castro’s visit, Lodewijk
Asscher, the relevant city councillor, even went so far as to say that Holland
should consider banning prostitution if the situation in Amsterdam’s Red Light
District doesn’t improve rapidly now prostitution has been legalised. According
to Mr Asscher, many sex workers are the victim of human traffickers.
“I
understand why some people are suggesting that window prostitution should be
stopped because the prostitutes are being abused. That they should be given the
chance of a better life, of improving themselves. On the other hand, I also
realise that ending window prostitution will create other, maybe much greater,
problems for the people who have to earn a living that way,” says Ms Castro.
Sexual
revolution
Mariela
Castro Espín is in the Netherlands to give a lecture at the University of
Amsterdam. In her capacity as director of CENESEX, a government organisation
for sex education, she will explain Cuban policy on sexual matters.
What is the
situation with regard to prostitution in Ms Castro's homeland? When her uncle
Fidel Castro came to power on the island in 1959, there were approximately
100,000 prostitutes in Cuba. They were the victims of twofold exploitation: as
women and as prostitutes.
“Then a law
was introduced that made pimping a legal offence. A male or female sex worker
is seen as a victim of exploitation.”
This still
applies today: prostitution is not prohibited, but pimps are subject to
prosecution. Since the hard-hitting economic crisis of the 1990s, an increasing
number of prostitutes have begun working for themselves. They include men and
women with a high level of education. Some are even graduates who have been
unable to find suitable employment.
They can be
found on the boulevard in Havana, relatively inconspicuous but willing to tag
along to a club with live music, with the possibility of continuing the evening
at a room in the neighbourhood.
Exchange
The
principle is the same, but the circumstances are different, says Mariela
Castro. Her main objective is to find alternative ways of dealing with
prostitution and she is keen to exchange experiences. Whether in the
Netherlands or Cuba, for her the most important thing is to be able to discuss
the issue freely and to ensure that those who choose the profession can live
healthier and more dignified lives.
While
acknowledging that the Netherlands is a source of inspiration for Cuba, she
also believes that Cuba has plenty to offer the Netherlands. One particularly
promising field in this regard is sex change surgery. Mariela Castro’s visit to
a Dutch transgender clinic may well form the basis for a scientific exchange
between the two countries in this field.
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