Reflections on The World’s Oldest Profession

By: Holly Lynn Nye

As a kid, it was always enforced in my household to use my assets to the best of my ability. My father is famous for saying things like that. “Six in one, half dozen in another.” “Failing to plan is planning to fail.” and so on…

So when visiting the narrow alleyways of Amsterdam’s Red Light District, I pondered this “use of assets.” Now I’m not here to give my opinion about whether prostitution should be legalized everywhere or even if I agree with it. I’m here for the facts. I’m here to see how this kind of life works for the women who choose it, just as working at the bank or as a doctor or dancer works for you.

The Red Light District is surprisingly one of the most beautiful areas of the city, with winding cobble-stoned streets (not the easiest to maneuver in 4 inch heels) and breathtaking 14th century architecture.

Prostitution and drug use happens everywhere in the world. Rather than criminalizing it, Amsterdam’s liberal and tolerant attitude has actually prevented rampant sex and drug related crime. The Dutch believe that banning certain inevitable social behavior actually makes it more difficult to control. There’s a thought.

Prostitution in Amsterdam goes as far back as the 12th century. Being a port city, the biggest clientele was seafarers passing through. The brothels of “Damstraat” were even run by the sheriff and his men.  Since October of 2000, window prostitutes have been legally permitted to trade their assets for money. The Dutch government views the women as “independent entrepreneurs” rather than second-class citizens. The women submit income tax declaration and pay taxes.  They truly are small independent businesswomen. Just like many hair stylists, massage therapists or fitness instructors rent their space to trade their craft, the women rent the windows, usually on an 8-12 hour shift, and pay anywhere from 75 to 150 euro (200 USD) per shift to the building owner. I pass by a few windows where the rooms are the size of a small walk-in closet. Obviously these girls are paying less for their office space. As I turn the corner a woman waves at me from her room, which takes up an entire street corner. The Golden Rule of Real Estate clearly applies to these women; “Location. Location. Location.”  It looks clean and tidy. Nice bedding. I wouldn’t mind stopping in for a coffee and a chat, if she had time for that. However, her time is money. I wave back because I am a firm believer in the idea that we as women need to be kind to one another. We have enough working against us without turning our backs on each other.

The charge for a session with a woman begins at 50 euro for about 15 minutes with a limited choice of services. The higher above the street level a window is located, the more the woman charges. The girls are literally climbing the ladder to the top. You can find women of all ages (18 years and above, of course), shapes, sizes and nationalities.

One of the most “shocking” scenes a tourist can encounter are children lined up outside their kindergarten, which is located above a row of windows in the heart of the Red Light District. Apparently, the children don’t believe anything taboo is going on, but that the women are charging men for kisses. City health services inform the women of free or low-cost STD clinics and many locations will provide the women with complementary medical care. The tests are voluntary.

In terms of safety, each window is adorned with an alarm button should a customer behave inappropriately. All services rendered are performed under the distributors consent and they always have the right to refuse a client.

There are several support groups located throughout Amsterdam for the women, and one former prostitute, Mariska Majoor, has taken her entrepreneurship to another level and created the Prostitution Information Center (PIC). Here you can find all forms of education related to sex workers and even participate in guided tours of the area. This tour tends to be one of the most popular in Amsterdam. It allows tourists to put faces and names to the women. They are mothers, students and professionals just like you and me. The PIC has become instrumental in influencing the Dutch government’s laws regarding prostitution. Mariska, like any driven businesswoman, is incredibly open about her experiences and motives with anyone who questions the field.

I think one of the greatest things I’ve learned about my 3 months in Amsterdam is to be more open-minded.

I’d be kidding myself, though, if I denied the impact “Sex and The City” had on my education and views about sex growing up in the 90s. I’m sure most twenty/thirty somethings would agree. I think back on an episode where a man has left Carrie $1000 on the nightstand after spending the evening with her. The debate about money in exchange for sex ensues. My favorite part of the episode was a quote by the overtly sexual Samantha: “Money is power, sex is power, therefore, getting money for sex is simply an exchange of power.”

I wonder if my father knows this quote…

Holly Nye is a Yoga Alliance certified Yoga instructor and has been traveling the world with Cirque du Soleil since 2005.  You can find her blog at http://girlseekingbliss.wordpress.com/