World P4P News

The Italian city of Salerno is introducing a repressive anti-vice law making it illegal to even look like a prostitute in public. The new rules mean women wearing skimpy skirts, high heels or acting flirtatiously could be fined £400.

Prostitution is not illegal in Italy but the council said police were being encouraged to crack down on women violating urban decorum . A council spokesprat explained:

The recent rise in prostitution has come just as we are expecting our annual influx of foreign visitors, so it's important that we act to protect the reputation of our town. We are encouraging police to fine indiscreet and brazen prostitutes for violating urban decorum.

Germany's Cabinet approved a dangerous new law requiring sex workers to register with the federal government. The bill also mandates the use of condoms, adds new restrictions for brothels and requires official permits for operators, who will be screened for certain convictions. Those who have a history of fraud, blackmail or smuggling won't be able to qualify for permits.

Sex workers, with the proposed bill, also must receive health advice at least every two years, and brothel operators will be forbidden from giving them orders on the the nature and scale of sexual services.

The bill will now more to the German parliament for consideration. It is scheduled to become law in 2017.

Hydra e.V. , Germany's first sex workers' association said:

It would minimize our already scarce chances of finding another job, if we want, or drive us into illegality if we chose not to register for these very reasons. Moreover, we are sure that enforced counselling and registration would not present us with the perfect environment for reporting situations of abuse or exploitation. Finally, the legal enforcement of a practice within the realm of sex, however advisable, would affect our right to sexual self-determination over our own bodies.

Although not in force yet, we have noticed a growing panic around this threatening new law. Many are unsure of its precise stipulations and are scared of its consequences, the group said. The vast majority of us refuse the mere idea of ever getting registered. Sex workers are getting more and more suspicious of authorities and institutions, insecure about their future livelihood, and angry.

Our conviction is that sex workers know best what would improve their lives.

Indonesia's governmant has said that the closure of the Kalijodo red light district in North and West Jakarta is just one step towards closing all 168 such areas across the country by 2019.

The government has already close down 68 red-light districts, while another 100 would be closed down within three years, said Social Affairs Minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa.

In connection with the closure of Kalijodo red-light district, the Social Affairs Ministry has offered former sex workers in the Kalijodo red-light district training to provide them with the various skills they need for better jobs after leaving the district, which is being demolished by the Jakarta city administration.

Those, particularly from outside Jakarta, who take up the offers would be trained at the ministry's women social working facility (PSKW), said Khofifah during a visit to the center in Pasar Rebo, East Jakarta.

This place is open for all former prostitutes from outside Jakarta. We will register them after they arrive here.

However, so far no former prostitute has come to the PSKW to seek assistance at the ministry's facility, which currently only accommodates 25 former sex workers, who were arrested by Public Order Agency officers, although the center can accommodate some 120 people.

Germany is considering a new law that will require men to wear condoms during sex with sex workers.

Under the proposed law, sex workers would be required to register and meet regularly with government health counselors. The law would also ban sex workers from living in the rooms where they work.

The proposed law could enter into force on July 1, 2017, said a spokesman for women's affairs in Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union.

The Global Network of Sex Worker Projects' (NSWP) Regional Correspondent in Europe gathered together comments from sex workers. PG from Hydra said:

It is a bad sign, she said, this law won't protect sex workers. It is just about control. This new law comes in one package with forced registration and health 'counselling'.

According to PG, a similar law is already in place in Bavaria. Sex workers there have to register and condom usage is mandatory. Bavarian police are sending fake clients to sex workers asking for unprotected sex and if the sex worker agrees, they will be punished.

Germany legalised sex work in 2002. Under current laws, sex workers can collect public unemployment insurance and medical coverage.

Obligatory condom usage is implemented in New Zealand as well, where everyone should use a condom and/or dental dam for vaginal, oral and anal sex.

Paris, as everyone knows, is the city of love, the place where most people say they would like to have a romantic affair. Well, out of Paris comes a new development in the hotel trade that's calculated to help lovers in their quest for time alone - a website that helps couples book daytime hotel rooms.

French website Dayuse.com is even now ushering in daytime guests to crisp-sheeted bedrooms, complete with trouser-press and kettle, from Sao Paolo to Singapore - and of course in Paris.

In many of the world's big cities, hotels have been hard hit by home-share sites like Airbnb. In Paris there are now more Airbnb rooms on offer than hotel rooms. Every device to recoup lost income is welcome - so what better way than to sell your rooms twice over?

Dayuse has a variety of offers. A typical Paris experience might be a hotel in the Latin Quarter charging 80 euros (£62) for a morning booking (0900 - 1300), and 95 (£73) for the afternoon. Night-time prices would be double that.

Interestingly, Dayuse makes it very clear that no credit cards are needed in order to book. Is this a hint of the target clientele? After all, as everyone knows, rogue receipts are the worst enemy of the undercover Lothario. Lorenzo Sciotti, Dayuse's business development manager commented:

Our primary market is business-people - people who need a rest between flights, or a place for interviews or meetings. After that we are targeting people who want to use hotel facilities in the day-time, like spas and swimming-pools.

Of course, there are couples who use Dayuse - and we welcome them. But they are not our priority.

The Brussels muslim mayor has proposed laws intended to suffocate the red light window business located near Brussels North station.

According to sex workers, the owners of the buildings are opposing a regulation brought forward by Mayor Emir Kir. Twenty two bordello owners on Linne street will now take their case to court.

The new laws mean that window owners will see the fees rise from 950 to 3000 euros. The sex workers will also have to show conformity and medical certificates. Their working hours will also be reduced by 25%.

One of the owners, Pascale De Bruycker, said:

We have been trying to provide a conformity certificate since August, but the commune has always found ways to refer the issue. The mayor Emir Kir does not want to give new certificates, but he will close our bordellos if we don't have any.

Amsterdam closed eight massage parlors late last year after evidence was found indicating that they were used for illegal prostitution. Eight more massage parlors were told they have to close, newspaper Het Parool reports.

The local council investogated 22 parlors, most of them Thai and Chinese massage parlors. They looked for trace evidence, scantily clad women and sexually related objects in the parlors. They also looked at internet reviews.

Three of the checked massage parlors were clean, in three others there was not enough evidence to prove illegal prostitution took place. Eight were closed immediately and eight others were informed that they had to close.

The council claims that the parlours provide unsafe working environments and also considers unlicensed parlours to be unfair competition for licensed sex companies, who have to comply with various restrictive rules and regulations.