Prostitution in Denmark
Encyclopedia
Prostitution
in Denmark
("Prostitution" in Danish) is legal, but third party activities such as operating brothels and other forms of procuring
are illegal activities.
in Denmark is 15 years, however for prostitution it is 18 years, whether provider or client.
The Danish police have a special 'morality' unit (sædelighedspolitiet) to enforce the laws.
Since sex work is not recocgnised as a lawful profession, sex workers are not entitled to the protection of employment laws regarding, or unemployment benefits, but do have to pay taxes.
The traditional center for prostitution in Copenhagen
is the district behind the Copenhagen Central Rail Station (Mainly Istedgade
, Halmtorvet
and Skelbækgade), and until recently the number of street prostitutes and sexually oriented businesses in this area was declining. Now street prostitutes appears to be growing in numbers,
mainly from Eastern Europe and Africa. Like many other European cities, many prostitutes now use internet based ads for incall and outcall services.
estimated that migrant prostitutes make up 65% of all prostitutes in Denmark.
The most recent report from the Servicestyrelsen agency states that about half of sex workers in Denmark are migrants, the largest group, about 900, come from Thailand
. These, typically, have a residence permit or Danish citizenship. They are entitled to a wide range of social and health benefits, but are not always aware of these. The next largest group, about 1,000 are from EU countries in Central and Eastern Europe but tend to commute between Denmark and their homeland, and are therefore not entitled to help from Danish social services. While some of these women may be victims of trafficking, the proportion is unknown. The third largest group is from Africa
, especially Nigeria
, numberering around 300, and may have been trafficked. Some of these commute between other Schengen Area
countries and Denmark (a similar situation exists in Norway
).
No reliable figures are available with regard to how many persons are being trafficked. In 2008 the police met with 431 women suspected of association with trafficking and 72 were confirmed to be victims. According to Copenhagen police, women are recruited in their native countries, transported to Denmark, and then forced into prostitution.
(S) government of Poul Nyrup Rasmussen
reformed the penal code on March 17th 1999, coming into force on July 1, to decriminalise prostitution.
As elsewhere in Scandinavia
there has been a continuing debate about the status of prostitution laws. The opposition Social Democrats
and some feminist groups favour outlawing the buying of sexual services.
This would put Denmark in line with Sweden
, Norway
and Iceland
. This position was then supported by the Red-Green Alliance (Enhedslisten EL), Socialist People’s Party
(SF), but not the Social Liberals
(R). This had little popular support, only about 26% supporting the measure. (see Public opinion)
In 2011, responding to both an opinion poll and recent research (which see) the opposition Social Democrats
(S), supported by the Socialist People's Party
(SF) on this issue, and do not consider the issue of rights identified in the 2011 poll. This puts them at odds with the minority governing parties, the Liberals (Venstre)
(V) although the position of the junior party, the Conservatives
's (K), position is less clear. On the other hand, the opposition People's Party
(DF) is more supportive of rights, looking to New Zealand. In Denmark's complex political mosaic, the Radicals (Social Liberals) (R) who are divided on the issue, may hold the balance of power on this issue.
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
("Prostitution" in Danish) is legal, but third party activities such as operating brothels and other forms of procuring
Procuring (prostitution)
Procuring or pandering is the facilitation or provision of a prostitute in the arrangement of a sex act with a customer. Examples of procuring include:*trafficking a prostitute into a country for the purpose of soliciting sex...
are illegal activities.
Legal status
Prior to 1999 a person could be a prostitute only if prostitution was not her main source of income. Prostitution was fully decriminalized on 17 March 1999, when changes were made in the penal code (Straffeloven), but practically it had been tolerated for a long time prior to these changes to the penal code. Both selling and buying sexual services are legal, but activities such as running brothels and pimping are illegal. The age of consentAge of consent
While the phrase age of consent typically does not appear in legal statutes, when used in relation to sexual activity, the age of consent is the minimum age at which a person is considered to be legally competent to consent to sexual acts. The European Union calls it the legal age for sexual...
in Denmark is 15 years, however for prostitution it is 18 years, whether provider or client.
The Danish police have a special 'morality' unit (sædelighedspolitiet) to enforce the laws.
Since sex work is not recocgnised as a lawful profession, sex workers are not entitled to the protection of employment laws regarding, or unemployment benefits, but do have to pay taxes.
Demographics
The US State Department said that a 2008 report from the National Board of Social Services states that police estimate the number of persons involved in prostitution is approximately 5,500.The traditional center for prostitution in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
is the district behind the Copenhagen Central Rail Station (Mainly Istedgade
Istedgade
Istedgade is a street located in the district of Vesterbro in the Danish capital, Copenhagen.Located west of Copenhagen Central Station, Istedgade is a 1-kilometer straight street starting in the cheap hotel district, moving through the porn and drugs area to modern Vesterbro, where 1900s tenement...
, Halmtorvet
Halmtorvet
Halmtorvet is a public square in the Vesterbro district of Copenhagen, Denmark. It is located next to Copenhagen Central Station in front of the Meat District...
and Skelbækgade), and until recently the number of street prostitutes and sexually oriented businesses in this area was declining. Now street prostitutes appears to be growing in numbers,
mainly from Eastern Europe and Africa. Like many other European cities, many prostitutes now use internet based ads for incall and outcall services.
Migration and human trafficking
A 2009 study by TAMPEPTAMPEP
TAMPEP is an international organization that supports the health and human rights of migrant sex workers in Europe. Founded in 1993 with headquarters in Amsterdam, the organization initially operated in Italy, Austria, Germany and the Netherlands...
estimated that migrant prostitutes make up 65% of all prostitutes in Denmark.
The most recent report from the Servicestyrelsen agency states that about half of sex workers in Denmark are migrants, the largest group, about 900, come from Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. These, typically, have a residence permit or Danish citizenship. They are entitled to a wide range of social and health benefits, but are not always aware of these. The next largest group, about 1,000 are from EU countries in Central and Eastern Europe but tend to commute between Denmark and their homeland, and are therefore not entitled to help from Danish social services. While some of these women may be victims of trafficking, the proportion is unknown. The third largest group is from Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, especially Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
, numberering around 300, and may have been trafficked. Some of these commute between other Schengen Area
Schengen Area
The Schengen Area comprises the territories of twenty-five European countries that have implemented the Schengen Agreement signed in the town of Schengen, Luxembourg, in 1985...
countries and Denmark (a similar situation exists in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
).
No reliable figures are available with regard to how many persons are being trafficked. In 2008 the police met with 431 women suspected of association with trafficking and 72 were confirmed to be victims. According to Copenhagen police, women are recruited in their native countries, transported to Denmark, and then forced into prostitution.
Clients
A 2005 study of male clients men by Claus Lautrups found that 14% of Danish men have paid for sex at least once.Political debates
The Social DemocratSocial Democrats (Denmark)
The Social Democrats , is a Danish political party committed to the political ideology of social democracy. It is the major coalition partner in Denmark's government since the 2011 parliamentary election, and party leader Helle Thorning-Schmidt is the current Prime Minister of Denmark...
(S) government of Poul Nyrup Rasmussen
Poul Nyrup Rasmussen
Poul Nyrup Rasmussen , informally Poul Nyrup, born 15 June 1943), was Prime Minister of Denmark from 25 January 1993 to 27 November 2001 and is currently President of the Party of European Socialists . He was the leader of the governing Social Democrats from 1992 to 2002...
reformed the penal code on March 17th 1999, coming into force on July 1, to decriminalise prostitution.
As elsewhere in Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
there has been a continuing debate about the status of prostitution laws. The opposition Social Democrats
Social Democrats (Denmark)
The Social Democrats , is a Danish political party committed to the political ideology of social democracy. It is the major coalition partner in Denmark's government since the 2011 parliamentary election, and party leader Helle Thorning-Schmidt is the current Prime Minister of Denmark...
and some feminist groups favour outlawing the buying of sexual services.
This would put Denmark in line with Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
. This position was then supported by the Red-Green Alliance (Enhedslisten EL), Socialist People’s Party
Socialist People's Party (Denmark)
The Socialist People's Party is a green and socialist political party in Denmark.-1959–69:The SF was founded on 15 February 1959 by Aksel Larsen, a former leader of the Communist Party of Denmark and CIA agent. Larsen was removed from the ranks of the DKP for his criticism over the Soviet...
(SF), but not the Social Liberals
Det Radikale Venstre
The Danish Social Liberal Party is a social liberal political party in Denmark. The party is a member of Liberal International and the European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party.-Origin:...
(R). This had little popular support, only about 26% supporting the measure. (see Public opinion)
In 2011, responding to both an opinion poll and recent research (which see) the opposition Social Democrats
Social Democrats (Denmark)
The Social Democrats , is a Danish political party committed to the political ideology of social democracy. It is the major coalition partner in Denmark's government since the 2011 parliamentary election, and party leader Helle Thorning-Schmidt is the current Prime Minister of Denmark...
(S), supported by the Socialist People's Party
Socialist People's Party (Denmark)
The Socialist People's Party is a green and socialist political party in Denmark.-1959–69:The SF was founded on 15 February 1959 by Aksel Larsen, a former leader of the Communist Party of Denmark and CIA agent. Larsen was removed from the ranks of the DKP for his criticism over the Soviet...
(SF) on this issue, and do not consider the issue of rights identified in the 2011 poll. This puts them at odds with the minority governing parties, the Liberals (Venstre)
Venstre (Denmark)
VenstreThe party name is officially not translated into any other language, but is in English often referred to as the Liberal Party. Similar rules apply for the name of the party's youth wing Venstres Ungdom. , full name Venstre, Danmarks Liberale Parti , is the largest political party in Denmark...
(V) although the position of the junior party, the Conservatives
Conservative People's Party (Denmark)
The Conservative People's Party , also known as Conservatives is a Danish political party.-History:The party was founded 1915 based mostly on its predecessor, Højre , but also on the Free Conservatives and a moderate faction of Venstre , the liberals.The party has participated in several coalition...
's (K), position is less clear. On the other hand, the opposition People's Party
Danish People's Party
The Danish People's Party is a political party in Denmark which is frequently described as right-wing populist by political scientists and commentators. The party is led by Pia Kjærsgaard...
(DF) is more supportive of rights, looking to New Zealand. In Denmark's complex political mosaic, the Radicals (Social Liberals) (R) who are divided on the issue, may hold the balance of power on this issue.
Public opinion
A public opinion poll in 2011 showed that 61% of Danes think Danish sex workers should have more rights, and their profession recognised. Support was found by the majority of voters for all parties, but most noticeably for the relatively small Liberal Alliance (LA). The question was "In Denmark, prostitution is legal and prostitutes are in principle taxable. Prostitution is not recognized as a profession, and the prostitutes are not able to join a union, receive benefits or be eligible for employment insurance. Are you in favor or opposed to prostitutes being allowed to join a union in order to receive benefits and employment insurance?"Research
In 2010 the Danish Government, responding to criticisms that the debate on prostitution was largely based on myths and stereotypes, allocated four million kroner for a national survey by Det Nationale Forskningscenter for Velfærd which was published in 2011, as Prostitution i Danmark. The report stressed that prostitution cannot be treated as a monolithic or homogeneous entity, in particular drawing a distinction between outdoor (street) and indoor work. It suggested a more targeted approach, pointing out that many sex workers had chosen their profession rather than being coerced.History
- Pedersen: Prostitution in Denmark 1860-1906. Int Fed Res Women’s Hist 2003
- Merete Bøge Pedersen: Tempting outcasts. On common prostitutes in the 19th century. Bibliotek for Læger 2006;198:38-57
Regulation
- Corrigan and Donohoe: Regulatory Approaches to Prostitution – Comparing Sweden, Denmark, and Nevada, USA. Effects of different legal and regulatory effects on sex workers, focusing on human rights and social justice. Public Health & Social Justice: Women’s Health 2008
- Prostitution legislation: Will they go the same way? NIKK March 19 2009
Migration
- Sex work in Europe - A mapping of the prostitution scene in 25 European countries TAMPEP 2009
- Marlene Spanger. Between Suppression and Independence. Transnational Prostitution of Black Women in Denmark. NIKK 2002
Health
Other
- Armario and Dollner: Prostitution in Denmark. Humanity in Action 2002
- Danish stance on prostitution. Kvinfo Dec. 2006
- Prostitution of poverty or sexual self-determination? Kvinfo June 2010
- Approaching Prostitution: Differences Need not be Barriers : An Analysis of Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Servicestyrelsen's Prostitution Department. Emily Childers-Brocks Masters Thesis Feb 2010, Aalborg
Related articles
- Government of DenmarkGovernment of DenmarkDenmark is a constitutional monarchy with a representative democracy based on a unicameral parliamentary system. The affairs of Government are decided by a Cabinet of Ministers, which is led by a Prime Minister...
- Folketing (Danish Parliament)FolketingThe Folketing , is the national parliament of Denmark. The name literally means "People's thing"—that is, the people's governing assembly. It is located in Christiansborg Palace, on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen....
- Politics of DenmarkPolitics of DenmarkThe Politics of Denmark takes place in a framework of a parliamentary, representative democratic, constitutional monarchy, in which the Prime Minister is the head of government, and of a multi-party system...
External links
- The Nest-STOP Trafficking / Reden STOP-Kvindehandel Support group for trafficking victims
- Nordic Gender Institute (NIKK)
- Nordic Prostitution Policy Reform
- Servicestyrelsen: Prostitution Service Agency Prostitution Unit
- Publications