Sex boxes and fellatio cafes: Switzerland’s legal prostitute industry in action

While the Dutch brothels have only been allowed since 2000, Switzerland has safeguarded legal sex work since the 1940s. Amsterdam’s red light district receives most of the attention. In Switzerland today, there are over 20,000 registered prostitutes who prefer to operate from one of the country’s numerous brothels, red light districts, or other unique locations. Of course, the job is extremely controlled and well-organized, just like everything else in Switzerland.

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In Switzerland, prostitution is not only accepted as a legitimate form of commerce but also subject to the same taxes and regulations as any other industry. In order to obtain the required government approvals, sex workers need to have work visas and health insurance. The most crucial need for sex workers is that they claim that they are doing it willingly; any other statement is seen as human trafficking.

Work and sex in the city

In a Swiss city, sex workers aren’t permitted to advertise their services publicly, so unless you specifically search for them, you won’t see them. Sex workers are allowed to operate in areas known as Strassenstriche, which literally translates to “Street lines.” Every Strassenstriche has its own policies regarding rules, opening times, hygienic guidelines, and even welcome sections. Sex workers who operate outside of these zones or outside of the prescribed hours are subject to fines and license suspension if they frequently violate the regulations, even if the Strassenstriche varies depending on the canton. These fines, for instance, begin at 200 Swiss francs in Zurich.

Sex rooms and other peculiar workplaces

Sex boxes are another unique facility Zurich provided for sex workers, in addition to the Strassenstrich zone. These so-called “boxes” give sex workers a place with everything they need to operate their business, thereby enabling a drive-through sex service. The prostitutes may carry out their work in a secure environment free from potentially aggressive pimps thanks to the security alarms and showers within the boxes.

Before the outbreak, businessman Bradley Charvet said that he was going to establish a “fellatio café” in Geneva where patrons could order a latte with extra, and where Swiss sex workers would also have a safe place to work. This is the most expensive coffee in Switzerland, costing around 60 CHF for a service.

Higher-end escort services catering to politicians, celebrities, businesspeople, diplomats, and the rich can be found in bigger Swiss cities. The escorts are intelligent and frequently speak many languages. They can spend the night for a few thousand Swiss francs, or they can be used as arm candy at parties.

The utilization of sex labor for convicts at La Pâquerette, a social treatment department for prisoners, has maybe been the most unorthodox in Switzerland. At the Champ-Dollon correctional facility near Geneva, it was reported in 2014 that prisoners will be permitted to meet sex workers with the assistance of therapists.

Ethics and Sexual Work

Under the motto “Sex work is work,” several Swiss groups continue to defend the legitimacy of sex work in the nation. Their principal points of contention are:

Maintaining legality of prostitution makes it necessary for prostitutes to disclose the locations and people they work with, assisting law enforcement in safeguarding their safety.

Prohibition wouldn’t end prostitution; instead, it would push sex workers into risky situations.

If Switzerland were to outlaw prostitution properly, it would come at a high cost. To enable workers to seek new vocations, someone would need to assist them in finding new employment or, at the absolute least, cover the cost of their schooling. Anything less would just not set well with the people of Switzerland.

Switzerland, a liberal nation that values equality, views the legalization of prostitution as an obvious indication of equal rights. After all, just like everyone else in the nation, sex workers need to have the opportunity to choose their own terms and pursue their careers.

How do Swiss nationals feel about the legalization of sex?

It’s challenging to respond to this question now. Although there haven’t been any surveys on the subject to far, it seems that Swiss people have come to terms with prostitution as a fact of life since their direct democracy model lets them vote on nearly any rule.

As a resident of Switzerland, I sometimes overhear conversations in which people say that as long as sex work stays inside designated areas and does not bleed into residential areas, nobody complains; this is how the Strassenstrich came to be. For the Swiss, it is just another business—as long as it stays structured and controlled, that is.

The Swedish paradigm

Sweden’s policies on prostitution are widely recognized. According to their approach, people who pay for sexual services may face criminal charges, but sex workers are not. It is said that by decriminalizing sex work, this strategy facilitates their departure from the business and allows them to pursue other employment opportunities. It’s also intended to make the atmosphere safer for sex workers.

How will prostitution fare in Switzerland in the future?

Sex work in Switzerland fell off in 2020 and 2021 as Covid-19 limitations forced inhabitants to work from home and shun social interaction for months at a time. Regretfully, many prostitutes were forced to continue working illegally and at danger to their health as a result of the prohibition. According to a research by the Zurich University of Applied Sciences, the ban increased aggression, coercion, and fraud against prostitutes while also giving pimps and their clients greater control over them. According to the university, these findings unequivocally oppose a prohibition, even in cases of medical emergency.

The highest court in Switzerland ever heard a case involving sex work. The government’s “Covid funds” for unpaid overtime should not be accessible to international sex workers, according to a June 2021 ruling by the Swiss Federal Court. According to the court, they were not eligible to receive payments like other workers in the nation because of their temporary work visas.

Even if a generation of Swiss prostitutes left the industry in large numbers during the epidemic, fresh young people seem to be aspiring to work in the industry on a constant basis. This gives me the impression that Switzerland’s regulations regarding prostitution won’t change—at least not very soon.