In Warsaw the attitude towards prostitution is somewhere between denial and discretion. The capital of the country that has best withstood the financial crisis seems to be seeking a way to offer new attractions to western society through meticulous cleanliness. Questions about prostitution and human trafficking in Poland seem to be out of place here. The 22 -year-old looks impeccable and blends in perfectly with the area surrounding Warsaw's palace of culture and science. The glass roof of the stadium constructed for the euro football championships looks like a spotlight.
Bright neon lights create looming shadows from the enormous structure. In Warsaw the public consensus towards prostitution is somewhere between denial and discretion. Being the capital of the country that has best withstood the financial crisis, it appears to seek a way to offer new attractions to western society through absolute cleanliness and tidiness. In the list of the current nationalities that have Poland as their final destination, the borders have clearly moved towards the east from recent trafficking from Asia , principally Vietnam , to neighbouring states such as Bulgaria or Romania.
The relationship between Poland and Ukraine has always seemed to enjoy special legislation. I started to look for work without knowing a word of Polish. I looked after elderly people and children, and then got a job in the logistics industry. However, every time I go through customs the police at border control are always suspicious. The fall of the USSR in and the subsequent impoverishment of families caused a massive increase in human trafficking from eastern Europe.
She is the head of La Strada , an international organisation which is located close to the main campus of the polytechnic university of Warsaw. La Strada has been working for the prevention of human trafficking in the Netherlands and different part of eastern Europe for the last eighteen years. The majority were sex workers originating from Bulgaria and the Ukraine.
Garnier, along with her team at La Strada , strive to promote their prevention programme in schools, orphanages, other NGOs and even in psychiatric hospitals. In Rivne there are rumours that I'm a hooker because I make money here. Despite the reluctance to recognise prostitution in Poland, selling one's body is not prohibited in Poland.
