Anna
Kontula’s report ”Prostituutio Suomessa” in Finnish
language was published by Sexpo
Säätiö in 2005
Abstract
Currently,
there are some 8000 prostitutes working in Finland annually, half of
them Finns and the
majority working part-time. On a daily basis, about a quarter and
during the
year one third
of them work with or under the control of the pander.
Reasons why people
end up as prostitutes are various. The
field
of prostitution is divided ethnically: the Finns offer traditional sex
services (incalls/outcalls)
and special services, the Thais offer erotic massage and the Russians and
Estonians visiting Finland usually offer only traditional sex services.
A part of
prostitution is associated with serious social problems, such as crime,
poverty, social
marginalisation and drug abuse. The situation of the illegal immigrants
is
especially bad:
they cannot enter the official labour market or turn to public services
(such as
police or
health
care) even in acute situations.
Besides
the international organized criminal procuration, there are other forms
of organizations
in the field, too. The prostitutes maintain online discussion forums and organize
meetings. Informal networks arise around studios, massage parlors and assistance
organizations. Sex workers also have national and international unions.
Still, the
majority of the prostitutes don’t know anyone else working in the
business.
Even
though prostitution is found in every society, the social, cultural and
economic characteristics
of each society have an effect on the volume and forms of it. The
Finnish prostitution
legislation has been greatly revised during the last few years. Thephenomenon
of prostitution has reflected the slow rise in income level in Russia
and Estonia,
the growing income disparities in Finland, the Estonian EU membership
and the discussion
about prostitution in the Finnish media.
The most
significant changes that have taken place in the field of prostitution
in
Finland during
the last few years have been the decrease in temporary prostitution by
the Russians
and Estonians, the Estonian prostitutes becoming independent, and the
possibleincrease
in the number of Finnish prostitutes. The ”precision
prostitution”, where the
client invites
the seller to his home for a few days to do for example household
chores in
addition to
sex services, has replaced the ”girl buses” from Murmansk.
The beginning of substitution
treatment in Finland has cut down the proportion of injecting drug
users in prostitution.
As the new communication technology is becoming more and more common
and
changes are being made in legislation, the internet is gradually
replacing streets,
restaurants
and newspapers as a way to find customers.
|
»Main page
»Abstract
of my report Prostituutio Suomessa (Prostitution in Finland)
»Abstract
of my presentation at the World Congress of Sociology, July 2006, Durban
»Speech at the European
Conference on Sex Work. Human Rights, Labour and Migration. October
2005, Brussels
|
