Amsterdam+Red+Light+District

** Legalized Sex Work **
Sex work and prostitution have always been largely accepted in various forms in Amsterdam (Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2012). However, only on October 1, 2000 were the criminal codes lifted, which resulted in legalized brothels and pimping (Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2012). In order to maintain order and safety, the government left control of the Red Light District to the local authorities. This leaves local police officers to frequent the area at all hours, as well as dropping in without notice to inspect any brothel they choose (similar to our U.S. Health Department). Additionally, the prostitutes have access to a buzzer in their windows incase they should sense any danger to themselves.

Interestingly, the original legalization of brothels was implemented in order to protect prostitutes from exploitation. Yet, in 2007, the government implemented Project 1012 with the rationalization they gave to citizens that it was to further protect the prostitutes.

** Project 1012 **
The governmental policy created a kaleidoscope of structural violence at the micro and macro level, which would have a profound impact on the general culture of the Red Light District. Within this context, structural violence is en embedded political and economic construct that is affecting the larger functioning and processes of a culture, i.e. the Red Light District (Farmer, 2004). Once brothels were legalized, there was an influx of tourism into Amsterdam, the Red Light District, specifically, because it is one of the few places in the world known to have a positive view towards prostitution (McCoy, 2013).

In order to understand the overall culture of prostitution, one must look at how this governmental policy affected the sex workers, the citizens who live in the area, the tourists who come in with their own cultural lenses from various parts of the world, and the violence that accompanies the legalization.

The sex workers are left voiceless because of the Project 1012 initiative. Project 1012 was initiated under the pretense of helping the prostitutes when, in reality, it has been closing brothel windows and economically harming the prostitutes. Project 1012 is a developing project that has not yet been completed that is geared towards gentrifying the Red Light District (HuffpostLive, 2015). Gentrifying the area, the government hopes, to increase tourism from tourists of higher socioeconomic status. Therefore, the project has included adding expensive shopping and eateries (HuffpostLive, 2015).

** What About the Prostitutes? **
The structural violence downfall from brothel window closures has shattered the older Red Light District culture. Closing of windows has increased the competition for what windows are open (Anna, 2014). The brothel owners have received payoffs to sell back their brothel property, leaving the prostitutes anxious and unable to trust if they will have a job for much longer (Anna, 2014). Many prostitutes who have had their windows taken have no other recourse to make the same amount of money, so they will often lead to streetwalking (Anna, 2014). Streetwalking is a much more dangerous form of prostitution that is still illegal in Amsterdam. Ironically, Project 1012 sought to battle issues of sex trafficking; however, they ended up contributing to it with many unemployed prostitutes looking for work, which would often result in getting trafficked (HuffpostLive, 2015). Therefore, if a prostitute is engaging in illegal sex work, she is less likely to seek help if she is in danger out of fear of getting into trouble.

Advocacy groups, such as PROUD, a Dutch union for sex workers, have been very open about speaking out against Project 1012’s disruption of the Red Light District culture (HuffpostLive, 2015). Mariska, an ex-prostitute of the Red Light District and Chairwoman of PROUD, organized a protest in 2015 against the brothel window closures (HuffpostLive, 2015). In December of 2015, the government promised to not close any more brothel windows, however, the damage of trafficking and culture disruption has already happened.

**Media**
Near hour global conversation hosted by Huffington Post regarding brothel closures and the state of the current Red Light District culture.

http://live.huffingtonpost.com/r/segment/5523d2f802a760557c000023



**References**
Anna, F. (2014, May 14). Amsterdam's cure for forced prostitution [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://behindtheredlightdistrict. spot.nl/2014/05/amsterdams-cure-for-forced-prostitution.html Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. (2012). //Dutch Policy on Prostitution//. Farmer, P.. (2004). An Anthropology of Structural Violence. //Current Anthropology//, //45//(3), 305–325. http://doi.org/10.1086/382250 HuffpostLive (Producer). (2015, April 10). Dutch sex workers protest planned brothel closures. [Video file]. Retrieved from http://live.huffingtonpost.com/r/segment/5523d2f802a760557c000023 McCoy, E. (2013). //Has the oldest profession in the world really changed? A short history of Dutch prostitution and government regulation of prostitution in the Netherlands//.