The World's Oldest Problem

Prostitution is often described as the oldest profession in the world, which also makes it one of the world’s oldest problems. In most western countries it’s legal, with notable exceptions like the United States or Sweden (where selling sex is legal and buying sex is illegal). But in many parts of the world prostitution is a crime punishable with death. In Spain it’s not a crime, but soliciting is sanctioned when requested in public or if menacing road safety, according to a recent law that includes fines from 600 to 30,000 euros.

Politicians have generally tended to pretend that the problem doesn’t exist. In Spain only Albert Rivera –the liberal Ciudadanos leader– sees a “collective double-standard» underlying this controversial subject. Mr. Rivera is also concerned about the economic perspective. «While Europe is still affected by the ongoing crisis, there are experts claiming that the third economic activity in Europe could be prostitution», he said when asked about his intention of legalizing the sex trade.

The economic crisis has driven Spanish women to prostitution, according to Caritas, though they are estimated to be only 20 percent of the sex workers in the country. Much like Catherine Denueve in “Belle de Jour”, dozens of Spanish women sneak off once or twice a week to meet their male clients and then return to their unsuspecting families. However, the standard profile is a foreign woman of less than 35 years, with children and no studies. Resorting to prostitution is usually the last option, taken as a temporary solution when no job can be found and the unemployment benefits have run out. Women become prostitutes because of their social exclusion, but it stigmatizes and isolates them, limiting their access to other types of jobs. A crippling loop, almost impossible to overcome.