Prostitution in Hungary
Encyclopedia
Prostitution
in Hungary
has been legalized and regulated by the government since 1999. Under the law, prostitutes are basically professionals who engage in sexual activities in exchange for money. The government allows this activity as long as they pay taxes and keep legal documents.
: Magyarországi Prostituáltak Érdekvédelmi Egyesülete) was founded in 2000 by Ágnes Földi. It serves as a trade union
and lobbying organization to prostitutes in Hungary. According to its website, the "Association has established the expert co-operation with the task of giving a helping hand to the prostitutes in their re-adaption into the society." Among its main goals, the organization pledges to help prostitutes to spend the least amount of time as sex workers, return to society successfully, and prevent the spread of the activity to other aspects of life.
Additionally, the association also provides counseling, routine health checks, legal advice, and it serves as an outreach program to which prostitutes are encouraged to turn when facing difficulties. In 2002, homosexual and transgender
prostitutes also joined the organization in order to effectively lobby the government.
Due to regulation, which mandates those engaged in prostitution to subject themselves to periodical health checks, the trade union provides such services. Most attention is focused on the diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases (STD) such as Chlamydia, Hepatitis B, HIV
, Syphilis
, and Gonorrhea
. These checks cost approximately US$90, and they are valid for three months.
is a source, transit, and destination country for women trafficked from Romania
and Ukraine
to Hungary
and through Hungary
to the Netherlands
, the United Kingdom
, Denmark
, Germany
, Austria
, Italy
, Switzerland
, France
, and the United Arab Emirates
for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation.
Internal trafficking of women for sexual exploitation also occurres. Experts noted a significant increase in trafficking within the country, mostly women from eastern Hungary trafficked to Budapest
and areas along the Austrian border. Roma women and girls who grow up in Hungarian orphanages are highly vulnerable to internal sex trafficking.
According to government officials and NGOs, the majority of traffickers are individuals or small, family-based groups. Organized crime syndicates transported many of the trafficking victims to or through the country for forced prostitution.
The US State Department report on Human rights in Hungary states the Government of Hungary does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so.
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 Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
has been legalized and regulated by the government since 1999. Under the law, prostitutes are basically professionals who engage in sexual activities in exchange for money. The government allows this activity as long as they pay taxes and keep legal documents.
History
Often called the world's oldest profession, prostitution in Hungary has been present throughout the country's history. For much of the time, however, it has been an underground and illegal activity, as it still remains in many other parts of the world. In the modern era, Hungary was confronted with excessive tax evasion, and the overall well-being of sex workers was also problematic. For this reason, the government legalized prostitution in 1999.Current situation
According to the law, local authorities are obliged to mark zones for legal prostitution if there is profound local need. Most local authorities deny the existence of such need, and they often refuse to designate such zones. The trade union of Hungarian prostitutes is still fighting for the zones. There are strict conditions under which prostitutes are to operate, keeping distance away from schools or churches. It is illegal to lend a flat to a prostitute, or to run brothels.Hungarian Prostitutes' Interest Protection Association
The Hungarian Prostitutes' Interest Protection Association (in HungarianHungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
: Magyarországi Prostituáltak Érdekvédelmi Egyesülete) was founded in 2000 by Ágnes Földi. It serves as a trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
and lobbying organization to prostitutes in Hungary. According to its website, the "Association has established the expert co-operation with the task of giving a helping hand to the prostitutes in their re-adaption into the society." Among its main goals, the organization pledges to help prostitutes to spend the least amount of time as sex workers, return to society successfully, and prevent the spread of the activity to other aspects of life.
Additionally, the association also provides counseling, routine health checks, legal advice, and it serves as an outreach program to which prostitutes are encouraged to turn when facing difficulties. In 2002, homosexual and transgender
Transgender
Transgender is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to vary from culturally conventional gender roles....
prostitutes also joined the organization in order to effectively lobby the government.
Due to regulation, which mandates those engaged in prostitution to subject themselves to periodical health checks, the trade union provides such services. Most attention is focused on the diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases (STD) such as Chlamydia, Hepatitis B, HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
, Syphilis
Syphilis
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the spirochete bacterium Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum. The primary route of transmission is through sexual contact; however, it may also be transmitted from mother to fetus during pregnancy or at birth, resulting in congenital syphilis...
, and Gonorrhea
Gonorrhea
Gonorrhea is a common sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The usual symptoms in men are burning with urination and penile discharge. Women, on the other hand, are asymptomatic half the time or have vaginal discharge and pelvic pain...
. These checks cost approximately US$90, and they are valid for three months.
Human trafficking
HungaryHungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
is a source, transit, and destination country for women trafficked from Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
and Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
to Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
and through Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
to the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, 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...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation.
Internal trafficking of women for sexual exploitation also occurres. Experts noted a significant increase in trafficking within the country, mostly women from eastern Hungary trafficked to Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
and areas along the Austrian border. Roma women and girls who grow up in Hungarian orphanages are highly vulnerable to internal sex trafficking.
According to government officials and NGOs, the majority of traffickers are individuals or small, family-based groups. Organized crime syndicates transported many of the trafficking victims to or through the country for forced prostitution.
The US State Department report on Human rights in Hungary states the Government of Hungary does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so.