The Netherlands. Ask others about Amsterdam and there is a good chance that they will tell you about the coffee shops and the red light district. People often travel here to experience the pleasures of cannabis and carnal desires in a tolerant societyβthe latter in the form of prostitution. For the past ten years this has been the case in Amsterdam, where prostitution was legalized in By lifting the prohibition on brothels, the Dutch government sought to give sex workers more autonomy over their profession, reduce criminal activity and improve their labor conditions.
Now, however, it is deliberating about making changes to the law that will enhance its oversight over prostitution. This raises a question about whether stricter regulation, in the context of this culture of tolerance, would actually benefit the sex workers, or make matters worse. There are approximately 20, prostitutes working the streets of the Netherlands Janssen; Hovener, Since , prostitutes have been identified as independent workers who must register with the Chamber of Commerce and pay income tax in order to legally perform their work.
In instituting this measure, the government was attempting to bring its official stance into accordance with a reality in which prostitution was already tolerated. This legalization was aimed at eliminating illegal exploitation, handicapping criminal enterprise, and improving the working conditions of prostitutes. Even with the improvements provided by this policy, many more have been deemed necessary, and further reforms are currently under deliberation.
One of these comes in the form of Wetsvoorstel Regulering Prostitutie en Bestrijding Misstanden Sexbranch a proposed law for the regulation of prostitution and control of abuses in the sex industry. The Council of Ministers has agreed to undertake a new policy regarding prostitution, and the proposal is currently being discussed within the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament in the Netherlands.
It aims to establish a better and more uniform law to be applied nationwide. If this reform takes place, the prostitutes will have to register at the national level, after which they will be briefed on issues including risks of the profession, Social Security, and alternative employment possibilities. The new policy would also raise the legal age for employment as a prostitute from 18 to In addition, anyone who wishes to start a prostitution business would have to apply for a permit.
