Above picture from Morbid Anatomy website.
A 19 year old who had been desperately searching for work in Germany received unexpected confirmation from the Labour Office; they had secured a job for her. You might be thinking a job as a; shop assistant, administrator, bank clerk, in a factory or a million other different jobs; but NO, this girl was told to begin work in a brothel.
Yes, that is correct a brothel.
A waitress at a brothel to be more precise. This was the job the teen was offered, or at least was told she WOULD DO, as opposed to the housekeeping job she had been hoping to find.
Great prospects for any 19 year old to aspire to, working in a brothel.
OK, prostitution is legal in Germany, but nevertheless a quick enquiry to discover if this ‘career option’ was what the teen wanted, would have brought back a resounding NO! Just because something is legal doesn’t mean everyone agrees with it, or wants to be part of it.
I soon began to wonder; because prostitution is legal, and the person looking for a job happened to be a young girl, whether the Labour Office automatically thought the teenager would be OK working in that type of environment????
After all she is a woman, and that is what a woman is for – to serve, for sex and pleasure. Therefore, a brothel would be ideal for any woman to work in. Why wouldn’t a woman want to work there?!
Yet, perhaps the Labour Office just think of this as a job; something better than nothing??????
The teenager has refused the job, so I wondered what people thought about this???? Refusing work in this rough economic climate, a job is a job after all right??????? Any port in a storm to survive??????
Yet, Should anyone force you to accept a job that goes against your morals, ethics, ideals and standards????
Could you suspend what you felt and believed to work in such a place????????
Perhaps you think a brothel and prostitution is great career choice???????
The Savvy Senorita 
“whether the Labour Office automatically thought the teenager would be OK working in that type of environment????”
Her morals would be corrupted far worse by working for the government where she would learn to lie, cheat and steal. The brothel at least provides an honest service that people want. Furthermore, the brothel owner has to be at least be somewhat responsive to his or her customers, unlike the government which can get away with murder (and often does).
Hi,
Thanks for your opinion on this Malcolm, however this is not something I can agree with you upon; neither would the girl who is the focus of this post, who was being told to work in the brothel against her own morals and principles.
Corruption maybe part of Government, but I can’t see how a woman being forced into sex work would be a better option, and solve any issues society face.
I question a society where such ‘services’ still exist as they are not expressions of freedom for me.
Thanks again. Bex 🙂
Bex, I’m sorry if my hasty reply offended you so let me elaborate in more detail to make sure that I am not misunderstood. I believe that in a free society all of us have to learn to tolerate activities we fundamentally disagree with as long these activities are engaged in by consenting adults. The woman in question was 19 years old (although you insist on calling her a teenager) and you state that she chose not to accept the job so it cannot be said she was not free to make the choice she did. Yes, there was a price to pay for her decision but that is the nature of choice, and, like Nico, I don’t believe this was the only job offered, and even if it were I certainly don’t believe that in Germany this was the only option available to her in life.
You state that the job offered was that of a waitress in a brothel so this is not exactly the same as “being forced into sex work”. As I see it the woman decided not to accept this job in the same way that a religious person might turn down a job as an usher in a theatre putting on anti-religious productions. We all have to make these type of personal decisions at one time or another in our lives. Hopefully, in making this decision she will have grown and become stronger because of it.
There are honest and dishonest people working in both government and brothels, but the incentives in a voluntary business that has to satisfy its customers to stay in business are very different from the incentives in government, where money to keep it going indefinitely can be coerced out of people through taxes and legal and administrative machinations. Based on this view is it really so obvious that working in a brothel is more corrupting than say, working in a government bureaucracy and planning how to expand your department’s budget at the expense of the hapless taxpayer?
Hi Malcolm,
It isn’t that I misunderstood you or have been offended; I just have very particular beliefs and opinions about ‘sex work’ and related industries, derived from research and so on. I won’t alter how I feel on these topics.
I think that Govt work could be abhorrent, questionable and far from moralistic – but it is choice. Most people in these jobs have the world at their feet, from ‘good’ families, rich and educated – it is their dream to do this work. However, a person engaged in sex work (or related job in this ‘career’); I question whether this is their chosen ‘career’ field. They do it as there is no real informed choice for them in life, and it is not their dream job; they don’t wake up at 13 and think great job choice!! I basically question consent. If someone has no economic status, lack of opportunity and so on, then I question consent and the freedom to actually want to engage in the work.
I am concerning my responses to women in the sex industry, rather than taxpayers. That could be a whole new post about how people are abused by the economic (and so on) systems. Perhaps this is not so different, but for me the context is in this concern.
19 is still a teen, still young – and although everyone likes to believe at 19 they are fully informed, they are not!!! Easily situations occur, which are later regretted – advantage taken and so on.
It’s the fact a young woman was offered the job – are men offered sex work too? Sex = woman’s role in life, it never changes and isn’t questioned enough.
No I agree too – as above I just feel perplexed why it was even offered when it wasn’t something she stated she wanted. Whether it is legal or not in Germany doesn’t mean it should have a place as an employment option – not everyone wants this option offered to them as the ‘norm’. Why should sex work per se be encouraged, and advertised as normal women’s work anywhere within the world.
Waitress or Receptionist or whatever it is, still engages in sex work – helping to prop up an industry that perpetuates a raw deal for women. Just because sex work exists and is tolerated doesn’t mean it is OK, merely entrenched. The work doesn’t signify or represent freedom.
Perhaps, perhaps not – I suppose in some ways she showed maturity as her decision not to accept took some strength. This is too often accepted in society now, or pushed as glamorous and desirable options (like Pretty Woman, Confessions Of A Call Girl and so on), which it isn’t. No one should be engaging in that sphere of work in the 21st century. It should not be an option for any woman – there should be more choices available in a free society, more ways to attain the same choices as the rich or men in society, or whatever else.
The women engaged in the work are deceived, maltreated, used and abused, often there forced into such work, trafficked as slaves. They don’t always pay any tax or insurances, the work is still frowned upon and they are marginalised – not even seen as part of the real world – often the criminal or mafia world.
These women are serving and satisfying a seedy need – they shouldn’t have to do that in a free world. Is degradation freedom in any ‘career’, not in my mind.
Yes, it is – as it often props up corruption – tip of an iceberg. Trafficking as I have stated – many women in this work are. I feel it does corrupt people – it may begin as harmless and then leads on to more depraved situations. The people involved are corrupting, the whole premise of women as merely sex objects is destructive and corrupting, the fact there is nothing other than that for them to do is corrupting, people don’t dream of becoming sex workers their circumstances dictate it, they are forced – corrupted.
Hope this clarifies where I stand. I am very passionate about the subject, although I hoped I wouldn’t need to delve into it, and ‘rant’ about what I think or feel on this subject.
Thanks, Bex 🙂
I went to the job office once (in Germany) – I wasn’t offered a Job in a brothel, mind you. I was offered a multitde of jobs to apply for, tough they were also not exactly glamorous (nor paid well), so I decided to go back to college. In the case of the girl who was offered the job in a brothel, I find it hard to believe that was the only position she was offered. No matter the job, in Germany, nobody can be forced to take a particular job; that would be in direct opposition to the most sacred articles of the Grundgesetz (i.e. Constitution). They have to apply for some job to get unemployment money, but we are not at a lack for those (job offers), and the lists the unemployment office provides are by no means mandatory – they are suggestions
Hi,
Thanks for your input on this topic.
So this could well be a media scam??? The media manipulating the truth to cause outrage?????
That could well be the case. After all scandals and so on sell – it is what people want to hear.
I hope it is a lie really – I wouldn’t want to think anyone would be forced into such a job.
I suppose with prostitution not being legal in many countries, it is difficult to even consider such places being listed on the job market. It is strange for us.
Thanks again,
Bex 🙂
that was so wrong.
It is indeed – I hoped it would be a different perspective to consider, as prostitution is illegal in many places.
yeah, you always write about unique and critical topics. I appreciate.
Thanks Nafees, as always very kind of you 🙂
No sense of honor or shame. Yes, I would rather have nothing and would starve to death than dishonor myself; at least I would die with dignity.
Stand by what you believe – I agree with this. Though, I feel many people would draw the line on starvation first.
Bex 🙂
I think you are right. Most people would cave in at starvation because they are no longer made of the stuff our ancestors were. The only thing we’ve progressed into is a sad state of humanity.
Wild!
I know 🙂