Prostitution

Prostitution in Germany - A Controversial Topic

Few topics are as controversial in society as the pros and cons of prostitution. While some call for the unrestricted right of all women to choose their profession freely, others argue that prostitution involves massive exploitative structures and suffering that has nothing to do with a profession or voluntary work.

Reliable facts and statistics are hardly available. Not even the exact number of people in prostitution is known. Estimates put the number at around 250,000, some even speak of 400,000. In any case, the actual number is likely to be significantly higher than the number of registered prostitutes, which was 27,743 at the end of 2021, i.e. only about 10-15% of those engaged in prostitution are actually recorded.

In this case, “recorded” only means that they received at least one counselling session from the Health Service, and that an attempt was made to determine if they were minors or not, and if they wished to voluntarily engage in prostitution. Because of the high mobility within the prostitution system, it is impossible to determine where these women later end up, or if they need support.

Note: Here, it is mostly referred to as "women in prostitution", as experts estimate that more than 90% of people in prostitution are female. However, men and trans persons are always included.

The lack of data is all the more surprising since prostitution is a very lucrative business with a turnover of around 15 billion euros according to the Federal Statistical Office. Nevertheless, according to the Federal Audit Office, prostitution does not generate any significant tax revenue, i.e., tax evasion on a larger scale must be assumed. In several federal states, brothel operators collect a lump sum of approximately 25 euros per day from the women ("Düsseldorf procedure"), which must be paid to the tax office.

Social workers who carry out field work in the prostitution milieu, as well as many other people involved in prostitution, agree that 80-90% of the women in prostitution have a migration or flight history. In many cases, these are Romanian or Bulgarian women, but also women from other countries in Eastern Europe as well as from Africa, e.g. Nigeria, Asia, Latin America and other regions of the world. What they all have in common is that they usually come from precarious and educationally disadvantaged backgrounds and often belong to disadvantaged minorities. Very few of them have had the chance to receive an education, and many have only a rudimentary command of the German language. As a result, these women have few opportunities in the regular labor market. They often do not know their rights and find it difficult to find their way outside the prostitution milieu. In addition, they often distrust the police and authorities, due to bad experiences in their country of origin.

Voluntary?

If one considers the origin and social situation of many women in prostitution, one must ask whether one can speak of an activity here, which is carried out voluntarily, or what the term "voluntary" means in this context. Many of the women concerned are subject to economic constraints, which are not infrequently coupled with emotional pressure due to the expectations of the family in the country of origin. The women have younger siblings or children of their own who live with relatives and for whom they want to provide a good future. Some women were lured to Germany with promises of being able to work as a domestic servant, nanny or waitress and, after the supposedly lucrative jobs turned out to be a pipe dream, have to pay off high "travel expenses". Since they have no profession and hardly any language skills, prostitution seems to be the only option to make money. Other women definitely knew that they would work as prostitutes. However, they often say that they could not have imagined how much violence they would experience and how high the psychological and health burdens would be. What all these women have in common is that they see no other way than prostitution to support their families because of a real or perceived lack of alternatives. Comprehensive exit programs are indispensable here to give the women access to alternative employment opportunities.

Massive physical and psychological impairments

Many women in prostitution develop severe health problems, both physical and psychological. Few have a health insurance or can afford costly and lengthy treatment. Many continue to work in prostitution despite severe pain because they have to make money or are pressured by their pimps. If the women want to get health insurance, they are often asked to pay contributions for the previous years without insurance. Without support from a specialized counseling service, many women then continue to find themselves without health insurance or on a mountain of debt.

Life in prostitution

The forms of prostitution are diverse. Well-known are mainly brothels or so-called walk through houses where johns can check out the prostitutes before they choose a women and street prostitution. Special forms of street prostitution is trailer prostitution, especially in rural areas, where women stand on the side of the road to attract johns and then serve them in a trailer or other vehicle, and drug related prostitution, where the focus is not on prostitution itself, but on addiction. There are escort services, domina and BDSM studios, and other specialized forms. Increasingly, mixed forms are emerging, especially between pornography and prostitution. For example, johns can order pornographic pictures and films from women and in some cases arrange to have direct sexual contact. Also increasing is apartment prostitution, discussed in more detail below. The johns may pay different prices and the hygienic conditions and ambience may vary. But what all of these forms have in common is that they enable violence and exploitation of women, that women experience the physical and psychological stresses described above, and that women are reduced to objects as products and stripped of their dignity. There are no "good" forms of prostitution.

The Nordic Model

Sex work can not be viewed as a regular job like any other. Sex work is based on hierarchical and patriarchal structures - the dominion of rich men from Germany over poor woman from countries in the south. Men take advantage of the financial and social distress of these women. Discriminated minorities and groups of female migrants are overrepresented in every workfield of prostitution. Sex work manifests the asymmetry of gender relations. As long as men are able to purchase and consume the bodies of women as they like, there is no chance to reach an actual gender equality. Everything from violence up to organized crime is omnipresent in prostitution. Sex work is destroying the mental and physical integrity of affected women. By the purchase of their bodies, women are objectified and made into a product, in which their dignity is violated. This is why SOLWODI encourages a shift in the german sex work politics and demands the introduction of the nordic model approach to sex work.

Evaluation of the Prostitute Protection Act (ProstSchG)

Up until 2002, prostitution was not banned legally, but considered as immoral. Cities were able to set up restricted areas, in which prostitution is banned. Prostitution was legalized by the establishment of the Prostitution Law (ProstG) in 2002. Sex workers would be able to access pensions and other social benefits, but are also obligated to pay taxes and register their work to authorities. The Prostitute Protection Act (ProstSchG) was established in 2017, after the evaluation of the Prostitution Law (ProstG) from 2002 has shown that additional provisions - especially the protection of sex workers - are necessary. In 2023 an evaluation of the Prostitute Protection Act has started that will probably be released in 2025. The Criminological Research Institute of Lower Saxony (KFN), who already evaluated the updated human trafficking legislation, was hired to work on the evaluation.

And what about the men?

While talking about prostitution, sex workers are often the focus. Meanwhile the customers of sex work, mostly men, stay invisible. Quotes of these customers, which were posted to infamous forums about prostitution, prove that sex work is not about love or affection, but rather about dominance and force. Through the purchase of sex work, the woman becomes an object for sexual desire. This conception is dangerous, because objects are not expected to have human feelings. The possibility of sexual violence increases. 39% of men in Germany think that the purchase allows them to do whatever they want to these women. Especially if the sex worker does not meet the expectations of her customer, rape is seen as inevitable and legitimate. Over one third of men does not view these circumstances in prostitution as rape and belive that sex workers are “not able to be raped”.

Why is getting out so difficult?

Despite all of the violence and precarity, prostitution is offering a certain kind of security for women. They got to know the environment and learned to survive in it. Even external determination and the violence that they face by their pimps is familiar to them. Free social services (like for example: language courses) are not attended because they don't know about it, or because pimps and other forces have not allowed them to attend. Ideas about further life planning outside of prostitution often fail because of their environment, legal framework or lack of language skills and difficult access to education. In addition to that, resorting to alcohol and drug use to help endure prostitution make the process of getting out more complicated. On the other side, aspects like social stigmatization, financial and health-related problems or poor working conditions create pressure to get out of prostitution. SOLWODIs most important concern is the supply of opportunities to get out of prostitution for girls and women. To reorientate in life, develop life goals, change life routines and simultaneously process the impairing life experiences from prostitution while creating a new social environment at the same time requires ongoing and professional support. The support system must be a long-term and comprehensive matter. Setbacks or relapses are happening over and over again.

Sources

Many of the statements regarding victims of prostitution derive from first-hand experiences and observations of SOLWODI social workers in counselling, outreach, and aftercare. Additionally, the following sources are important for individual sections of this text:

Bissinger, Liane, https://abolition2014.blogspot.com/search?q=Bissinger, 2019
Bundeskriminalamt, Menschenhandel und Ausbeutung. Bundeslagebild 2021, Wiesbaden 2022, BKA Publikationen / Jahresberichte und Lagebilder/Menschenhandel
Bundesministerium für Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend (BMFSFJ), Lebenssituation, Sicherheit und Gesundheit von Frauen in Deutschland. Kurzfassung, Berlin 2013, https://www.bmfsfj.de/resource/blob/94200/d0576c5a115baf675b5f75e7ab2d56b0/lebenssituation-sicherheit-und-gesundheit-von-frauen-in-deutschland-data.pdf
Die unsichtbaren Männer – Zitate von Männern, die Frauen kaufen https://dieunsichtbarenmaenner.wordpress.com/
Sexindustry Kills, http://sexindustry-kills.de
Swedish Institute, The Ban Against the Purchase of Sexual Services – An Evaluation 1999-2008. Selected extracts of the Swedish government report SOU 2010:49, 2010, http://www.xn--ntverketpris-gcb.se/DiverseTexter/TheBanAgainstThePurchaseOfSexualServices-AnEvaluation1999-2008.pdf

Resources

The Resources Section is being continually updated. We are always happy to receive additional resources. Should you have tips regarding more resources please send them to .

Books

Current Recommended Reading:

Manfred Paulus, Verkaufte Menschen. Roma in der Prostitution, Wien 2024.

Discover more books on the topic

Films, Documentaries, Radio programmes, Podcasts

Recommended Listening:

Huschke Mau im Gespräch mit Beatrice Frasl (Große Töchter) über das Nordische Modell und Katzen

Discover more audio media on this topic

Studies, Reports, and other Materials

Current Recommended Reading:

Alsalem, Reem, UN Sonderberichtserstatterin gegen Gewalt an Frauen und Mädchen, Prostitution and Violence Against Women and Girls, Genf 2024

Discover more studies and reports on this topic