How the world sees Greece
After a coordinated police operation on the Greek island of Mykonos, three men were arrested on Sunday morning accused of drug trafficking and running a prostitution business in cooperation with some of the island’s most prominent businessmen. According to a Greek Police statement, the ring was composed of three Greek men in their early thirties who were handling yacht,
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com |
52-year old Greek bar owner in charge
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT en.protothema.gr |
Since 2008, when the financial crisis first appeared in Greece, the number of women who work in the sex industry has dramatically increased. Women trade sex for money, illegally in most cases, in order to put food on the table for their children and for themselves. Almost a third of Greek citizens are living below the poverty line and women, as well as children, are the most vulnerable groups who suffer from the austerity measures set by Greece’s creditors. The large unemployment rate, which has surpassed 25%, has led more than 18,000 women –an increase compared to the 17,000 in 2012- to work as prostitutes. According to the Greek Centre for Social Sciences and Panteion University, the number of people selling sexual services in Greece has soared by 150% during the seven-year crisis, noted the International Business Times. Human Rights Watch senior research assistant Eva Cossé noted: “Over the last few years, Athens has struggled with an increasing number of people who have lost their jobs, been evicted from their homes, and affected by poverty and social exclusion.” “As austerity measures have been carried out, HIV, suicide and depression have increased, and hundreds of thousands of people have been locked out of the health system altogether,” Cossé added. “Some live on the streets and others go there to find drugs or to find clients for sex work.” Greece’s legislation on the matter is not very helpful. Street prostitution is illegal, but sex work, for example in brothels is not. However, these brothels and the women working there, need to issue special licenses. Only 1,000 sex workers have been officially registered because the law provides that women must adhere to a long list of requirements in order to register as sex workers. “The Greek government should implement a genuine public health approach to people who exchange sex for money, drugs or life necessities, and make sure that police officers respect the rights of women whose lives are hard enough already,” said Cossé.
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com |
Since 2008, when the financial crisis first appeared in Greece, the number of women who work in the sex industry has dramatically increased. Women trade sex for money, illegally in most cases, in order to put food on the table for their children and for themselves. Almost a third of Greek citizens are living below the poverty line and women, as well as children, are the most vulnerable groups who suffer from the austerity measures set by Greece’s creditors. The large unemployment rate, which has surpassed 25%, has led more than 18,000 women –an increase compared to the 17,000 in 2012- to work as prostitutes. According to the Greek Centre for Social Sciences and Panteion University, the number of people selling sexual services in Greece has soared by 150% during the seven-year crisis, noted the International Business Times. Human Rights Watch senior research assistant Eva Cossé noted: “Over the last few years, Athens has struggled with an increasing number of people who have lost their jobs, been evicted from their homes, and affected by poverty and social exclusion.” “As austerity measures have been carried out, HIV, suicide and depression have increased, and hundreds of thousands of people have been locked out of the health system altogether,” Cossé added. “Some live on the streets and others go there to find drugs or to find clients for sex work.” Greece’s legislation on the matter is not very helpful. Street prostitution is illegal, but sex work, for example in brothels is not. However, these brothels and the women working there, need to issue special licenses. Only 1,000 sex workers have been officially registered because the law provides that women must adhere to a long list of requirements in order to register as sex workers. “The Greek government should implement a genuine public health approach to people who exchange sex for money, drugs or life necessities, and make sure that police officers respect the rights of women whose lives are hard enough already,” said Cossé.
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com |
The number of male and female prostitutes in Greece has been increasing during the Greek crisis a Panteion University study revealed. While the prices have fallen significantly, the turnover from prostitution, from late 2012 until today, reached between 600 and 620 million euros. The total number of prostitutes across Greece reaches approximately 18,500, while 13,000 to 14,000 of these women and men are foreigners who have fallen victims to trafficking rings. Conducted by Grigoris Lazos, a Department of Sociology Professor at Panteion University, the study was presented at a workshop organized by the General Secretariat for Gender Equality in cooperation with the Greek NGO “PRAKSIS,” under the auspices of the National Rapporteur against Human Trafficking’s Office. It was estimated that in 2012 there were 17,000 female prostitutes in Athens while in 2014 the number rose to 18,500. The number of customers in Athens amounts to approximately 550,000. As far as prices go, there has been a significant drop, after Greece was hit by the economic crisis. Specifically, compared to 2009 the study estimates that prices have fallen by 20% to 50%. Most female prostitutes get paid between 5 and 30 euros. However, the researchers were shocked to find that many prostitutes request even less that 5 euros, a fact that reflects their economic situation.
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com |
Half of the women who end up working in prostitution rings in Greece are lured into them by pimps offering them fake jobs, according to research carried out by the Greek office of the A21 Campaign, a nongovernmental organization that fights human trafficking and sexual exploitation.
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.ekathimerini.com |
The government on Tuesday officially repealed a controversial legal provision that was issued three years ago “to curb the spread of infectious diseases” but was widely condemned for stigmatizing women with HIV, particularly prostitutes, as it allowed their details to be made public.
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.ekathimerini.com |
As the Syriza party prepare to take power in Greece, promising anti-austerity reforms, Rebecca Reid explains why it's the country's laws around sex work that need updating. Urgently
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT telegraph.feedsportal.com |