The fate of most women in Bulgaria: Prostitution and Sex Slavery

 Bulgarian women and children are often subjected to prostitution within the country, particularly in resort areas and border towns, as well as in the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Austria, Germany, the Czech Republic, Finland, Portugal, Greece, Italy, Spain, Poland, Switzerland, Turkey, Cyprus, and Macedonia. Ethnic Roma women and children account for approximately 80 percent of Bulgarian trafficking victims. According to a recent study, Bulgaria is one of Europe's biggest exporters of prostitutes and has one of the largest and most developed networks of prostitutes in the continent. 

In Germany, which is seen by many as Europe's brothel, 12.7 percent of sexual exploitation victims are of Bulgarian origin. Nevertheless, For the economically impoverished women, life of prostitution in Germany is a lot better than life back home in Bulgaria. They are able to send more money home than they would have ever been able to make back home. Most of them are treated better by their clients as compared to their husbands. Even those women who come back home wish to go back and work as a prostitute again. 

Most Men are unemployed and illiterate and sustain on the money their wives send back from Germany.

Problem of Sex Slavery

 Sex slavery is another problem for the women in Bulgaria. Born and brought up in poor and impoverished conditions, many fall prey to sex traffickers who lure them out of Bulgaria under the pretence of love and the promise of a good and wealthy life in Germany. It is only after they reach Germany do they realise the reality and are forced and intimidated if they refuse. This way of luring out women is called the "Boyfriend model" and is a very popular method amongst sex traffickers. Once they have control over the women, they beat her into submission. 

Most of these women are compelled into the business when they are minors, at the age of 14-15, and are forced to attend to 15-20 clients every single day and go through unimaginable mental and physical trauma.

The Prostitution act of Germany

The 2002 Prostitution Act is a federal law in Germany that regulates the legal status of prostitution as a service in order to improve the legal and social situation of prostitutes.

 This law creates a delusion that prostitution is like like any other job and that the workers enjoy fair pay and protection. But this is far from the truth. Approximately 90% of the of the sex workers in Germany are not registered. Even after serving countless clients, they receive almost no money as it gets extorted by the pimps. 

The pimps who force them into the trade exercise such a control over the women that few dare to appear as a witness in court. Accepting that they are in this trade involuntarily is considered the greatest form of betrayal. But, the lack of statements from these women render the efforts of the authorities to prosecute the traffickers futile and they often walk free.  

Although life moves on for these women, the pain and agony of earning through sex trade continues to be a part of their subjugated lives.