Source: NPOradio1.nl (Dutch website)
HILVERSUM – When discussing sex work, one quickly arrives at stories of abuse, exploitation, and human trafficking. Important, says PhD candidate Lisa Hoekman, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. “If you mention victims, you must also mention the voluntary sex workers,” she says in Villa VdB . Together with sex worker Eve de Jong, she advocates for more nuance in the debate.
Hoekman conducts research at the University of Groningen into the relationship between legislation and human rights within the sex industry. “I look at measures intended to combat abuses, and how they relate to fundamental rights,” she explains. “Consider a national register, for example: how does that relate to privacy?”
According to her, the rules are often well-intentioned, but sometimes they go too far. “The choice to engage in sex work is difficult for many people to understand. As a result, that group is less heard.” The consequence: policies primarily designed for protection, but with less regard for autonomy.
I have been making a conscious choice for this for seven years.
This is relatable for Eve de Jong. She has been working as a sex worker for seven years and made that choice consciously. “It gives me freedom,” she says. “I can be an entrepreneur, manage my own time, and earn good money. It suits me.”
Yet she runs into practical obstacles every day. “Getting a business bank account or taking out insurance is already difficult,” she says. Workspaces are also scarce and expensive. “Either I pay 65 percent of my income in taxes, or I pay hundreds of euros in rent per day.”
Working independently is often not an option. “Opening your own workspace is almost impossible due to permits and regulations,” says De Jong. Even working from home is complicated: it is only allowed in a limited number of municipalities and only under strict conditions. “For example, I am not allowed to work with a colleague, even though that would actually be safer.”
Stigma and invisibility
In addition to regulations, stigma plays a major role. “Neighbors don’t want you in the neighborhood, landlords won’t rent out properties, and banks won’t grant mortgages,” says De Jong. She has been trying for years to obtain a permit for her own workspace, without success.
According to Hoekman, that stigma also makes voluntary sex workers less visible. “Figures are hard to come by,” she says. “People prefer to stay under the radar.” De Jong recognizes this: “I mainly know voluntary sex workers. But you don’t hear from them, because there are many downsides to speaking out.”
Freedom and safety are not contradictory
The discussion about sex work is often presented as a choice between freedom and safety. According to Hoekman, that is a false dichotomy. “In countries where sex work has been decriminalized, such as New Zealand, you see that openness can actually contribute to safety,” she says. “The willingness to report increases, and abuses become visible sooner.”
According to her, the so-called Scandinavian model, in which clients are punishable by law, is counterproductive. “Sex work fades into the shadows, making sex workers more vulnerable.” De Jong adds: “Clients actually gain more power. And asking for help becomes more difficult if your work is not allowed to exist.”
Treat it like any other profession
What needs to change? For De Jong, it is clear: “Decriminalization. Remove sex work from criminal law and treat it like any other profession.”
According to Hoekman, this calls for a broader perspective. “Not only looking at risks, but also at the rights and experiences of sex workers themselves.” For as long as the conversation focuses solely on abuses, a large part of the reality remains out of sight.
Villa VdB
You can listen to Villa VdB (Omroep MAX) from Monday to Thursday from 14:00 to 16:00 on NPO Radio 1. Presented by Jurgen van den Berg.
