Some cars,
most of them fancy Range Rovers, drive slowly, the drivers gazing out of their
windows. Near the bushes and trees a few women walk to the road, so the driver
can see them. All of them wear high heels, skirts, flaunting their physique.
Yes, these are some of the street
prostitutes in Kyiv choosing to make some quick money by offering their bodies to hunting men in the middle of the night. Nonetheless, the question remains if
these women really voluntarily choose to do this, or are victims of sex
trafficking.
Prostitution is illegal
in Ukraine, yet it is well known to authorities that some young women exploit
themselves to men. This is also one of the unfortunate images that many foreigners have of Ukraine. It happens on the
street as well as in some, by comparison the streets, classy clubs where women look for hungry men willing to pay
for an evening out.
In a country that’s been economically poor for years, prostitution is an opportunity to earn quick money, especially for vulnerable
younger women in the poorer outskirts of the big cities. The vulnerability of
these women lies in the fact that the majority of them are poorly educated and
come from families with a low social economic background.
It’s cold and dark, but you
can see them already from far. At this time no one walks on the street. Two
women sit on a bench, one of them is on the phone talking. Their hair is
styled, trying to impress some men if their cars pull over.
No customers are
to be spotted, though.
With all the make-up they look in their 20s, but
doubts still arise about whether they might really be in their teens.
“Hey, you hot guy, you want a blow job?’”the blonde
girl asks me straightforward, as I walk by.
She is not shy, and her pseudo
self-confidence suggests she has used that opening phrase more than once. A
strange feeling grips me, and words seem to fail to come out of my mouth. The
woman tries to flirt with me with only one goal: sex in exchange for money.
“How old are you?” I ask
her, not yet revealing my identity as a reporter. She looks me straight in the
eye, laughing at the question, and in a moment she looks as if she is high on
drugs.
Her eyes widen.
“I’m
19,” she says, following by a wink.
It remains unclear if the dirty flirt is a
game or pure desperateness to earn some money for the night. She continues to
be intrusive, but then I decide to intervene see if I can
ask her some questions.
As shocked as she seems, she opens her mouth, and says, “What?! Who are you?”
‘I’m a journalist.’
The two other women come
and support her, as she demands me to leave.
“Mind your business!” they shout.
It
seems clear why these female prostitutes are unwilling to answer questions:
fear of being betrayed, resulting in a possible arrest. Prostitution is
illegal, and those who ask critical questions to these women could in some
cases turn out to be members of the police. Also, there is the possibility of
these women being victims of sex trafficking, working for men who control them.
Talking to journalists, or even asking for help, will not only endanger them
but also their families.
When it comes to help,
many sex workers have to rely on their own though. Simply because there aren’t
a lot of places for help to go to.
The International Women’s Rights Center La
Strada Ukraine works in the prevention of trafficking persons, yet it remains
difficult for the organization to work in a country marked by political and
economic instability. The organization advocates the prevention of sexual
exploitation, and also offers social assistance to victims of these activities.
But, still it is hard for sex workers caught up in a human trafficking
organization to step up, and ask for help. Retaliation is only one step away as
many victims are overly controlled and brainwashed.
Nevertheless, those who
actually choose to prostitute themselves seem to only do it for an income, or
maybe even an extra income.
As unemployment in Ukraine amongst young people
is high, some women think prostituting themselves is the best way to have a
better financial lifestyle. This lifestyle comes with risks. Women could
get sexual transmitted diseases, and it is therefore utterly important to
check. Still, these vulnerable women could be a victim of a
man wanting to have condom-free sex, what might after all result in a sexual
transmitted disease, and it would take courage to tell a strange man no.
Given the political and
economic situation in Ukraine the fight against prostitution does not stand
high on the agenda of politicians or law enforcement. It’s unquestionably a big
problem in the big cities of Ukraine, and it will only rise as the economic
situation keeps falling.
Prostitution is by law illegal, yet law enforcers know
the problem, but only seem to ignore it, causing the problem only to become
bigger and putting more vulnerable lives in danger.
Stefan Huijboom is a freelance journalist in Kyiv.
