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At a recent workshop on prostitution management in the city, Quy said prostitution was complicated last year. Prostitution was disguised in many forms of business, using increasingly sophisticated tactics, making big concerns for the community.
"The number of prostitutes who were sent to rehabilitation centers dropped by more than 36 percent compared with 2011. After the provision on not managing or sending prostitutes to rehabilitation centers was issued, prostitution in the city has become complex again," he said.
The official said sex workers in HCM City mainly come from other provinces. They change their residence very often. According to statistics of the Phu Nghia Center for Education and Social Labor, of the 65 sex workers were admitted to the center in 2012, 43 do not have permanent residence in the city.
"Prostitution is the exploitation of women’s human dignity, reflecting the serious gender inequality, the invasion of traditional habits and customs, and it cannot be regarded as a profession. Preventing prostitution must be considered as an important task of society in the current period and the years to come," Quy emphasized.
Making comments on measures to prevent prostitution in the near future, some workshop participants proposed to restrict the number of waitresses of the sensitive businesses like karaoke bars and restaurants to prevent prostitution.
"Every place should have 5-30 waitresses who have to wear ao dai (Vietnamese gown). During inspection, we witnessed some restaurants and karaoke bars having over 60 waitresses who wore scanty outfits, grouped up and did nothing," an official of District 5 said.
An official from Binh Thanh District said that there should have consistency in the licensing of sensitive business services such as bars, karaoke and restaurants. He said the HCM City Department of Planning and Investment licenses sensitive businesses under the Enterprise Law, without cooperation with local authorities so it is very difficult to prevent prostitution. Many businesses that were closed for violations opened in a new name and did business at the same address.
"Only the local government knows who used to break the law. Sensitive businesses should not be licenced in the locations of rampant prostitution", he proposed.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Hue, from the HCM City Committee for AIDS Prevention, said there are more than 15,000 prostitutes in the city at this moment.
"The number of prostitutes does not increase as being reported by the relevant authorities but they move from one area to another area," she said.
Hue said to reduce prostitution, the assistance from the community and the government in creating jobs for women who give up prostitution is significant, because statistics show that almost 40 percent of prostitute are illiterate or poorly trained. They are very hard to find a job.
"There is an alarming figure that if previously drug injection was the main reason for HIV spreading, now prostitution is the main cause of the disease, accounting for 65 percent," said Hue.
Compiled by Nam Nguyen
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