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A new labour law concerning Belgian sex workers will allow a pimp to demand that the government mediate in cases where a prostitute refuses sex with clients too frequently.
Anti-prostitution activists say that the law will allow prostitutes’ managers to “further entrench and maintain their power.” Passed earlier this month, the law allows sex workers to obtain employment contracts from their pimps. These contracts classify prostitutes as hospitality employees and entitle them to health insurance, pensions, unemployment benefits, holidays and maternity leave. Pimps must be licensed by the government to issue employment contracts, and must allow prostitutes to refuse or to stop sex with clients for any reason. However, if a prostitute refuses or stops sex more than ten times over six months, their pimp can open a labour dispute and involve a government mediator. Belgium decriminalized sex work in 2022, allowing prostitutes to work as freelancers. However, employing a sex worker under contract remained a criminal offense, meaning that agreements between pimps and prostitutes existed in a legal gray area and contained no legally-binding protections for the prostitute. UTSOPI, a trade union for sex workers in Belgium, hailed the new law. “Without a labour law, sex workers would still be legally discriminated against,” UTSOPI spokesman Daan Bauwens said in a statement. “That is now over.” “We hope that other countries will copy this text, as they did on topics such as same-sex marriage, abortion, euthanasia and transgender rights,” Bauwens added. However, anti-exploitation activist Andrea Heinz argued that the new model simply allows pimps to “become ‘managers’ with the backing of the state to further entrench and maintain their power.” “Pimps see women they sell as products, not people deserving of full dignity and respect,” Heinz wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “And ‘government mediator’...Wtf is that? Someone to mediate pimp-victim ‘contracts’, i.e. gently encourage women to get back in the brothel bed when they are ‘not fulfilling their [sexual] obligations?’” According to official estimates from 2022, there are around 3,000 sex workers active in Belgium. However, some studies put that number at ten times higher. The Belgian Federal Police claimed in 2015 that around 26,000 women were working as prostitutes, and that 80% of them were being exploited by trafficking gangs from Bulgaria, Romania, Spain, Portugal, Hungary and Nigeria, among other countries. The Blog Tags Widget will appear here on the published site.
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Increasing numbers of young people in Japan are adopting a new type of marital relationship that requires neither love nor sex, in a trend called “friendship marriage”.
Around one per cent of Japan’s population of 124 million are possible candidates for the arrangement. They include asexual individuals, homosexuals, and heterosexuals who are disillusioned with traditional marriage. The figures come from data collected by Colorus, an agency that claims to be the first and only one in Japan that specialises in friendship marriages. Since the agency’s inception in March 2015, about 500 members have formed friendship marriage households, and some have raised children. The Peet Journal finds out more about the trend. What is it? Friendship marriage is defined as “a cohabitating relationship based on shared interests and values.” It is not about traditional romantic love or marrying a best friend. In such relationships, the partners are legally spouses, but without romantic love or sexual interaction. Couples may live together or separately. If they decide to have children, they might decide to use artificial insemination. Both individuals are free to pursue romantic relationships with other people outside the marriage, as long as there is mutual agreement. “Friendship marriage is like finding a roommate with similar interests,” explained someone who has been in such an arrangement for three years. “I’m not suited to be someone’s girlfriend, but I can be a good friend. I only wanted someone with similar tastes to do things we both enjoy, to chat and laugh with,” another said. Before marrying, couples usually spend hours or days agreeing on the details of their life, such as whether to eat meals together, how to split expenses, who does the laundry, and how to allocate refrigerator space. Such discussions may seem unromantic, but they have helped about 80 per cent of couples to live happily together and in many cases have children, Colorus said. Who does it? Individuals interested in friendship marriage are, on average, 32.5 years old with incomes exceeding the national average, and about 85 per cent have a bachelor’s degree or higher, according to Colorus. The trend is particularly appealing to asexual individuals and homosexuals. Many asexuals, who are unable to feel sexual desire or fall in love, still crave connection and companionship. Homosexuals may opt for friendship marriages as an alternative because same-sex marriage is not legal in Japan. Some heterosexual young people, who dislike traditional marriage patterns or romantic relationships, but are subject to societal pressures, have also been embracing the new trend. About 75 per cent of Japanese in their thirties still view marriage as a life goal, as reported by the Japanese Cabinet Office. However, 47.2 per cent of Japanese married couples have not had sex in the past month, and the number is rising, a 2016 survey showed. Seeking alternatives to traditional marriage, people have turned to friendship marriage to present a “stable and mature” image for career advancement or to please their parents. In Japan, being married has tax benefits and it remains very difficult for single women to have children. More than 70 per cent of partners in friendship marriages did so to have children. Although these types of relationships sometimes end in divorce, the advantages include enjoying policy benefits, companionship and “helping those who feel lost, dislike traditional marriage, or consider themselves social outcasts”, Colorus said. Outside Japan Worldwide, young people are increasingly exploring relationship arrangements beyond traditional marriage norms. Two 24-year-old women from Singapore, who have been close friends since childhood, decided to become life partners and live together in Los Angeles. Their relationship is not sexual. In China, a growing number of young people are choosing to buy houses and live with close friends. Marriage lawyer Zhao Li uses a common Chinese saying, “More than friends, less than lovers” to describe friendship marriage and emphasises the importance of signing a prenuptial agreement. “Although a non-sexual marriage might not be for everyone, it is not necessarily unhealthy or abnormal,” said Ma Xiaonian, a Chinese doctor with more than 30 years experience in sex education and relevant research. The Blog Tags Widget will appear here on the published site.
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People, mostly men, generally get offended when they are accused of living off their spouses. That’s not the case for 35-year-old Watanabe Ryuta, a self-professed expert when it comes to mooching off his four wives and two girlfriends. Ryuta lives in Sapporo with three of his wives, and three children. He said he hasn’t had to work for the past 10 years, and completely lives off the paychecks of wives and girlfriends. He was recently featured on Japanese infotainment programme, Abema Prime, where more was revealed about his unique family arrangement. Ryuta basically plays the role of a househusband. He is in charge of preparing everyone's meals, doing household chores, and looking after his kids. The household expenses, which come up to almost S$8K per month, are split between his wives and girlfriends. Yes, even those who don't live with him. He has two children with his first wife, who is 22. His second wife chose to keep her age private, while his 27-year-old third wife just gave birth to their child five months ago. His fourth wife is 24, and doesn't live with the family. On the show, Ryuta said he “simply likes women”. “When I realised that, we were already living in such an arrangement. As long as we all love each other equally, there wouldn't be an issue,” he said. The wives who live with him have their own rooms, and he takes turns to sleep with a different wife every night. His goal is to break the record for having the most kids in Japan. Japanese Shogun Tokugawa Ienari, who lived in the late 1700s to early 1800s, is the record to beat. He is said to have a 53 children. Ryuta said: “I want to overtake him. As such, I want to have 54 children, so my name can go down in history. I am still searching for a new wife.” Ryuta’s wives do not seem to have an issue with the arrangement as well. According to his first wife, Ryuta has “a sort of charm” that she can’t find in other men. She was aware that he had other girlfriends when they first started dating, and is on board with “living as a whole unit”. His second wife, on the other hand, initially wanted to break up with him upon finding out about what their marriage would be like. However, she has come to accept her lifestyle, saying that Ryuta is “very fair”, and that she “lives a very comfortable life”. Despite Ryuta’s plans for a massive family, there are legal limitations he has to deal with. Japan’s marriage laws do not allow for polygamy, and Ryuta cannot be legally married to more than one woman at a time. He marries whomever is next in line to become his wife, then divorces her so he is legally able to wed the next woman again. Ryuta, his wife, and his “ex-wives” then live together, following the rules of “an actual marriage”.
Aside from his four wives, Ryuta also has two girlfriends. Last week, he announced on Twitter that he has already picked out “Wife Number Five”, and they would have spent Christmas Eve together. The Blog Tags Widget will appear here on the published site.
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Why is May Masturbation Month?5/2/2024 By now, social media and random pop-up ads have (hopefully!) informed you that May is, in fact, masturbation month. You know the rules: knead your love muffin obsessively and thank your lucky stars that the clit exists. Oh, and make sure you're doing it to the right sort of fantasy. Turns out, there is actual history—imagine that!—behind masturbation month. Back in 1994, Dr. Joycelyn Elders was the Surgeon General here in the US. Elders was extremely progressive for the time, which 20 years ago simply meant that she was a huge proponent of sex ed (and decriminalizing most drugs, but that's a story for another day). She famously said: As per your specific question in regard to masturbation, I think that is something that is a part of human sexuality and it's a part of something that perhaps should be taught. But we've not even taught our children the very basics She meant that we should teach kids that it's okay to masturbate. Spin media decided that her message was: "let's bring some dildos to class and teach these kindergartners to have some fun!" Not the situation Elders was suggesting. She later went on to explain that masturbation could prevent the spread of AIDS; unfortunately, her bold statements led to a forced resignation. Politicians (both Republican and Democrat) took a break from worshipping Voldemort in their bat caves to jump for joy. Our buddy Newt Gingrich said, "it's good for the country and good for the President that she's departed." Not everyone agreed. Notorious sex shop Good Vibrations took action in 1995 and declared May National Masturbation Month. Since then, it's grown to International Masturbation Month. The Blog Tags Widget will appear here on the published site.
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In the past 3 years, 51,433 children have disappeared from asylum centers in Europe. This is evident from research by the journalist collective Lost in Europe.
It is unknown where these minors have gone. This concerns children who have travelled to Europe unaccompanied and have reported to an asylum seeker center in a Member State. They were registered as missing there after their disappearance. This usually concerns children between the ages of 12 and 18, but very young children are also 'lost'. The number of more than 50,000 is more than double compared to the three years before. In the period from 2018 to 2020, 18,292 missing persons were registered. The researchers have seen a significant increase in children coming from Afghanistan in recent years, where the Taliban have returned to power since 2021. In addition, Austria now has more insight into the figures, and the numbers there are also significant. It also happens that migrants consciously go under the radar, because they would rather live illegally than have to return to their country of origin. They also regularly fall into the hands of human traffickers, It is possible that these missing children are also the victim of human trafficking. Human trafficking has many forms. These include exploitation in the sex, entertainment and hospitality industries, and as domestic workers or in forced marriages. Victims are forced to work in factories, on construction sites or in the agricultural sector without pay or with an inadequate salary, living in fear of violence and often in inhumane conditions. Some victims are tricked or coerced into having their organs removed. Children are forced to serve as soldiers or to commit crimes for the benefit of the criminals. The Blog Tags Widget will appear here on the published site.
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Iconic French actor Gerard Depardieu has been arrested in Paris over new allegations of sexual harassment brought against him by two former film set colleagues, BFMTV news outlet reported on Monday.
According to the report, the 75-year-old movie star was called to a Paris police station for questioning early on Monday and then taken into custody. In addition to previous claims, the actor faces accusations of sexual assault in two more instances – one in 2014, and the other in 2021. The first accuser, a 53-year-old film-set decorator, alleged that Depardieu touched her inappropriately during her work on the set of “The Green Shutters” by Jean Becker. After she complained to colleagues, she alleges that Depardieu repeatedly insulted her. The woman said she has been having anxiety attacks and suffering post-traumatic stress ever since. The second woman, who was an on-set assistant during the filming of “The Magician and the Siamese” by Jean-Pierre Mocky in 2014, and aged 24 at the time of the alleged assault, claimed that Depardieu repeatedly approached her with explicit sexual proposals and “sexually” touched her. Depardieu has reportedly denied all allegations against him. The actor has faced more than a dozen other accusations in recent years from women who said he either harassed, groped, or sexually assaulted them. The first complaint came from actress Charlotte Arnould, who claimed in 2018 that she had twice been raped at the actor’s mansion in Paris. Following her allegations, Depardieu was handed preliminary rape and sexual assault charges in 2020, and placed under judicial supervision, avoiding jail. Another accusation came from actress Helene Darras, but was dismissed by prosecutors in Paris in January, who said it had passed the statute of limitations. Depardieu has repeatedly denied any improper behavior. In an open letter in Le Figaro published in October last year, the actor said he has “never, ever abused a woman,” as “hurting a woman would be like kicking my own mother in the stomach.” Amid the flood of allegations against Depardieu, over 50 French actors, writers, producers, and musicians in December last year signed an open letter calling for an end to the actor’s “public lynching” and saying that public condemnation violated the principle of ‘innocent until proven guilty’. The signatories included actors Pierre Richard, Vincent Perez, Carole Bouquet, and singer Carla Bruni. French President Emmanuel Macron at the time also lent his support to Depardieu, stating he would not back the “manhunt” against him. The Blog Tags Widget will appear here on the published site.
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