NO. 1 - 2002 NIKK magasin Bodiesacross borders - prostitution and trafficking in women NIKK - Nordic Institute for Women´s Studies and Gender Research Photo: Morten And The misery behind the fantasy Trafficking in young girls and women from the Baltic States to W also present a newly concluded IOM research survey in the Western European countries including the Nordic countries is a Baltic states exploring and describing the magnitude, the mechanisms growing problem - not least for the victims. Moderate EU estimates and the actors of the prostitution and trafficking business. One of the say that 120.000 women and children are being trafficked from conclusions drawn in this study is that while the main trafficking flows Central and East European countries into Western Europe each year. from the Baltic states some years ago were directed to The Middle This special issue of NIKK magasin on prostitution and trafficking in East, Greece and Turkey, the trafficking for prostitution now has women is a contribution to a Nordic-Baltic information campaign on turned to Central European countries – and the Nordic countries. the same subject involving eight countries. For this reason all the arti- The Russian prostitution across the border in Northern Norway cles are in English. The contributions come from Denmark, Sweden, is discussed in a historical framework, and the stereotype of the Norway and Finland as well as from Russia and the Baltic States. Russian woman as associated with prostitution is seen in an urban- The eight countries behind the The Nordic-Baltic campaign has rural/centre-margin perspective in another article in this issue. The different policies on the issue of prostitution but have agreed to base ’grand old man’ in prostitution research in the Nordic countries, pro- the campaign on the UN definition of trafficking in women described fessor Sven-Axel Månsson, has been fighting for criminalizing the cus- in article 3 of the so-called Palermo-Protocol, the UN Protocol to tomer in the sex trade for over 20 years and finally succeeding. In The Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women Interview he tells how he has identified some of the reasons why men and Children. This Protocol is the first international instrument that buy sex, which is necessary knowledge in order to create measures to mentions the men who create the demand for prostituted women All combat sexual exploitation of women and children. New Russian state parties that sign and ratify the protocol must adopt or strength- research into how women in prostitution see themselves and explain en legislative or other measures to discourage the demand.The most their motivations for entering into prostitution is presented in one controversial aspect of the Protocol is the definition of trafficking.This article. Other articles deal with important issues like racism in the sex definition takes into consideration the actual reality of women who trade and abuse of minors in the sex trade. are trafficked for prostitution. Trafficking can take place by means of In this issue of NIKK magasin we present some samples of new force, deception and abduction, but traffickers who abuse power or a research within this field. But trafficking in women and children for victim’s vulnerability, will also be criminally liable.The Protocol specif- prostitution purposes is a multifaceted problem which requires much ically mentions that the consent of a victim is irrelevant to the prose- more interdisciplinary research with gender perspectives than what is cution of traffickers. Even if some trafficked women know they will actually going on in the Nordic region. Such research ought to consti- have to prostitute themselves, they do not know that they will often tute the knowledge basis for social, economic and legislative measures be kept in conditions corresponding to slavery, being unable to escape for combating this growing criminal transnational trade, which is based from their exploiters, as the opening article in this issue from the on gender discrimination and violence against women. Danish scene reveals. NO. 1 - 2002 NIKK magasin 3 BODIES ACROSS BORDERS During one year two Danish journalists investigated the criminal networks behind the trafficking in young women to Denmark. They wanted to find out who the agents are, how they target the women and how they organise the travel across borders avoiding the attention of the authorities. Ulrikke Moustgaard reveals the hidden pattern behind the criminal trade of trafficking in women and young girls. PAGE 4 “YOU WILL BE SOLD LIKE A DOLL” Public awareness of the trafficking problem is low in Lithuania as well as in the other Baltic countries. Most people are not aware of the dangers of trafficking. The findings of the public opinion survey done by IOM indicated the urgent need for an information campaign. The main concept-image was this "human marionette" hung in her bare skin. PAGE 10 contents: WHY DO MEN BUY SEX? Professor Sven-Axel Månsson has studied prostitution since the mid-70’s, starting with an investigation into the nightclub culture. From the mid-80’s he has mainly focused on men as ersen/Samfoto buyers of sex and their motivations. In 1999 the law about sexual services came into force in Sweden, criminalizing those who buy sex. PAGE 22 Nordic-Baltic campaign Racism in the sex trade against trafficking in women in Finland The eight countries behind the campaign How women of different nationalities are have different policies on prostitution but presented to potential sex clients. PAGE 33 NIKK magasin 1-2002 ISSN 1502-1521 have agreed to join forces to combat PUBLISHER: trafficking in women. PAGE 16 Abuse of minors in NIKK – the Nordic Institute for Women’s Studies and Gender Research the sex trade EDITOR: Between suppression and The extent of sexual violence against Trine Lynggard independence minors in the sex trade in Finland is not [email protected] REFERENCE GROUP: When prostitution is a hidden act, the adequately recognised. PAGE 37 Maria Eriksson (SE), Marjut Jyrkinen (FI), balance between suppression and indepen- Aase Rieck Sørensen (DK), Hanne Størset (NO),Fride Eeg-Henriksen (NIKK) dence becomes very narrow. PAGE 18 “The Palermo Protocol” TRANSLATORS: A UN protocol with a controversial Heidi Granqvist, Sarah Bannock How women in prostitution definition of trafficking. PAGE 40 GRAPHIC DESIGN: Alien Design see themselves PRINTING: Prostitution in Russia has a tendency to be Open borders – open bodies CDDU Repro an alternative occupation for women in The opening up of the borders between PRINTED IN: 17 000 copies low paid jobs, students and needy mothers. Norway and Russia created an opportunity COVER PHOTO: PAGE 26 for the exchange of power and sexuality. Mikkel Østergaard/BAM/Samfoto PAGE 43 Free subscription Victims of trafficking A journey into the world New publications of Katya and Zenya. PAGE 30 PAGE 46 4 NIKK magasin NO. 1 - 2002 Photo: Morten Andersen/Samfoto Bodiesacro By ULRIKKE MOUSTGAARD Young women from the Baltic countries increasingly come to the Nordic countries to find jobs in the sex business – at the same time, there is an increasing number of hairdressers, house wives, managing directors and other “ordinary” people who have seen the financial opportunities offered by the business and therefore establish themselves as agents for sexual services. NO. 1 - 2002 NIKK magasin 5 ss borders "Girls wanted for work preferably in Scandinavia. She, along at home. in Denmark" with hundreds of her fellow Latvians, The Danish advert on the Latvian On a morning in July 2000 in the would like to go abroad to a rich coun- site looks for young women who can Latvian capital Riga, 25-year-old Aija try for a couple of months to earn good dance. And Aija knows how to dance. sees a job advert on a Latvian website money. There are plenty of opportuni- She immediately gets a reply. specialised in contacts between people ties for this, Aija knows. For a long "You can come at any time", replies who offer jobs and people who are look- time, many Danish, Swedish and a woman who calls herself Luna. Luna ing for work. Norwegian clubs, bars and private indi- asks Aija to call her on a mobile number Aija quickly replies. "I have seen viduals have been advertising on the in order to get detailed information. your advert and I am a 25-year-old internet, in newspapers and through woman, tall and slim. I have experience Latvian agencies for young women who Club 8 as a dancer." are willing to leave Latvia for a few Luna manages a club in a suburb of Aija is a beautiful, red-haired months for a job that will give them far Copenhagen. Club 8 is "a place where Latvian woman looking for work, more money than it is possible to earn many different forms of entertainment 6 NIKK magasin NO. 1 - 2002 are offered for the customers to enjoy in tries to Denmark is carried out - a trade that the women were referred to by the a pleasant environment", as it says on which nobody can give exact numbers agents as goods with individual product the club’s website. Cars roar past on a for, but which experts say, is growing codes. "These girls can be moved four-lane road outside the club. Every drastically. around as we like, and go back home now and then one of them will slow According to a report published by when we like. If all goes well, we make down on sighting the simple wooden the Danish police last year - after a fact- money", was the description of the busi- sign saying "club" and then turn down finding mission in Estonia, Latvia and ness between two Danish agents accord- the gravel drive to the red brick villa Lithuania - Denmark and Sweden are ing to the taping of phone calls by the that houses it.