Prostitution: Legalize or fight it?
Midnight. Coming back from the party, the celebration of my sister’s birthday. Needed to buy some water. Asked the taxi driver to stop on the crossing of Sovietskaya and Toktogula street. Oh, what I saw was just absolutely shocking and outrageous! I never witnessed it from such a close distance. A bunch of extremely young girls in a showy and short dresses and striking make-up gathered in front of an internet cafe “Alfa” and were having a chat and trading with men in a vulgar manner. This whole disgraceful scenario reminded me of one young girl who once came from a small and remote village to the capital in the search of a better life. She was so young and unexperienced in life that she did not notice that one day the profession she had was the oldest one as people call it. But she never considered herself as a prostitute, or let’s call them sex-workers. She said it perfectly suits her as she likes such a way of life. Her parents have no suspicion about their daughter’s way of earning money. They are quite sure she goes to university and does a part-time job in a small cafe nearby the relative’s house where she temporarily resides. This is not a sole example; there are unfortunately hundreds of cases of girls with similar fate.
There are several spots where the night butterflies gather to offer what they have. One of them is right in the corner of Sovietskaya and Toktogula streets. If before it used to be just the corner, now the line extends to Tynystanova street as well. As I live nearby, sometimes I hear their loud voices and car sounds during the night. The other one is in front of ZAGS, central marriage registration institute. Poor brides and grooms, this is the scenario they view on the first day of their marriage.
Several days ago, Bishkek militia forces displayed a haunt for sexual services in Bishkek. There are many such places where illegal prostitution prospers, and it has become a way of business which has lasted for many years. Some even spread this business in the porches of the dwelling houses and have clients who know their address and telephone numbers. The point I want to make here is that there is no use of militia’s exposure of such places, because it does not change the whole picture or situation per se. If they close off 1 place, other two or three will be opened soon. There needs to be some radical change to resolve the problem.
Some make an argument for legalizing the prostitution, even though it goes against Islamic rules and eastern mentality. With legalization, they believe, the rights of sex-workers will be protected; they will go through regular medical check and receive any essential treatment in case if they get ill. It would also protect them from physical violence and mistreatment both from those who use their service and militia as well. It is said that militia workers use the services for free any time they want.
Other believe that legalizing is not right, what we need to do is to fight against prostitution. However, fighting means different to militia, it means making money on the growth and spread of such dirty places. So, how do we really fight it? Or do we indeed have to fight it? What could and should the government’s role be in it? It would be interesting to hear what you think about this issue.
on August 12th, 2007 at 11:29 am
Hey Asel, you took a key issue where traditional and modern view of points in Kyrgyzstan fight with each other. Regretfully, Sex-workers (or, so called “Workers of commercial sex”) have a difficult life, and as you mentioned in your post, their service is used by policemen for free, and they suffer from criminal groups too, as they work illegally.
What I think about this issue is legalizing the prostitution. It is really indeed, and you were writing about here “With legalization, they believe, the rights of sex-workers will be protected; they will go through regular medical check and receive any essential treatment in case if they get ill. It would also protect them from physical violence and mistreatment both from those who use their service and militia as well”.
But another problemathic case is will anyone support this idea from MPs, or, politicians? I fear lest that - not, as our traditional society will understand it differently. And noone want to lose their political dividents.
So, regretfully, I think, we will go for legalizing the prostitution not so soon.
on August 12th, 2007 at 7:04 pm
First of all, sex work is NOT criminalized in Kyrgyzstan. There are organizations like “Tais Plus” working on protecting sex worker rights.
Second of all, the police does make a lot of money on sex workers through bribing networks. You can find more information about research on this issue in Russian language at this website http://www.volvox.in.kg/files/prv/PoliceSWAssessment_ReviewFINAL_ru.doc
Thirdly, whenever I hear of yet another ‘morality’ attack on sex workers, I ask ’so who are the clients?’. The MPs, Gansi soldiers, businessmen, men who come from villages to the city for fun or to sell something, and last but not least the Summit participants!
on August 13th, 2007 at 4:23 pm
It would be interesting to see any realist statistics on the proportion of the phenomenon in Bishkek. Anyway, anecdotal evidence suggest that it is large.
IMO, ‘poverty’ plays a role but it is not enough to explain things. I think it’s also a matter of mentality. During the ’90s, prostitution (both supply and demand) has been actively promoted as a secular virtue in the name of ‘friidum’ by both the establishment and certain Western organisations to destroy the social tissue and better oppress the people (as one writer put it: ‘wine, song and dance as an antidote to dissent’).
If created/s friction and hatred. I know the example of a European NGO that had to close its HIV-prevention programme in Osh and Batken province already in 2002 after they ran into local accusations that they ‘promoted prostitution’. Indeed ttheir naïve advocacy materials and the personal behavior of some of their expat workers gave ample ground for misunderstandings.
“Thirdly, whenever I hear of yet another ‘morality’ attack on sex workers, I ask ’so who are the clients?’. The MPs, Gansi soldiers, businessmen, men who come from villages to the city for fun or to sell something, and last but not least the Summit participants!”
Yes and certain European expats working for IFIs and some of whom are even involved in the setup of sex tours to Bishkek.
I agree though that the largest demand side is local. IMO it’s the result of a certain loser notion of ‘manhood’ that revoves around a) heavy boozing and b) treating women like shit which involves using lots of prostitutes.
BTW, there is a related thread with debate here: http://kyrgyzstan.neweurasia.net/?p=30
on August 14th, 2007 at 1:59 am
Any good numbers on HIV rates among sex workers in Bishkek?
on August 17th, 2007 at 4:57 pm
Andrew, was trying to find numbers. Will be asking around. One thing I know for sure is that they are lower than the HIV rates among sex workers in other post-soviet countries thanks to Tais Plus and to the fact that sex work is not criminalized in Kyrgyzstan.
on August 18th, 2007 at 12:45 am
Anna.
Yes, please post if you find those numbers. And if they’re not out, well, then, sounds like a great survey or dissertation project for someone. HIV rates among sex workers are so central to getting a pulse, so to speak, on where the virus is headed.
on September 7th, 2007 at 1:53 pm
“thanks to Tais Plus and to the fact that sex work is not criminalized in Kyrgyzstan.”
Tais Plus, Rainbow etc. are Western-funded structures that actually support and propagate prostitution (liberally enough) in order to destroy the country’s social tissue so that external forces can better colonise and exploit it.
on January 1st, 2008 at 9:58 am
I couldn’t understand some parts of this article , but I guess I just need to check some more resources regarding this, because it sounds interesting.