International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers
Chinese Sex Workers in Belleville, Paris, France
On the evening of December 17th a group of sex workers and former sex workers, mostly of Chinese descent, gathered with groups including the organization Médecins du Monde (Doctors of the World) in the area of Belleville on the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers. The Belleville area is notorious partly for the presence of large numbers of Chinese prostitutes on its streets. The women are mostly from Northeastern China and come to France in search of work. They pay large amounts of money to agencies in China and once they get to France they are told to seek asylum. The women lack proper work documentation and rarely speak French. They often end up working the streets as a last resort. According to Médecins du Monde, a vast majority of the women experience violence at work including rape and physical abuse either at the hands of clients or even the police. After gathering at Place Jean Rostand and following speeches and a moment of silence, the congregation marched along Boulevard de la Villette and Boulevard de la Chapelle to Pigalle metro station.
Paris, France. December 17, 2014
Mandatory credit: Nick Kozak / UnFrame
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