Frau Mutter Renate

☙ 𝒮𝑜-𝒸𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑒𝒹 𝒻𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑒𝓃 𝓌𝑜𝓂𝑒𝓃 𝑜𝒻𝓉𝑒𝓃 𝒸𝒶𝓇𝓇𝓎 𝒽𝑒𝒶𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓈𝓉 𝒷𝓊𝓇𝒹𝑒𝓃𝓈 𝒾𝓃 𝓈𝒾𝓁𝑒𝓃𝒸𝑒. ❧

Toutes les femmes vendent quelque chose – leur temps, leur silence ou leurs rêves.

➤ Alle Frauen verkaufen etwas – ihre Zeit, ihr Schweigen oder ihre Träume.

We already know from the article on Monique—and the last one I published—that prostitution, or sex work more generally, is a deeply complicated subject. In countries like Germany, it’s often framed between two extremes: one side wants to ban it entirely, while the other insists it should be fully legalized. The result is a grey zone where the system claims to regulate the industry, but in reality, it often just hides the exploitation more politely.

In many parts of the world, sex work is technically illegal—yet it thrives. As we saw in the Monique example, when researchers gave monkeys coins, the females quickly learned to trade sex for food. One female monkey would offer sex in exchange for coins, use those coins to buy bananas, and then feed her children. The males, in turn, learned to work harder or cheat the system to get coins and access her body. It’s uncomfortable to watch, but it’s also familiar.

🔗 https://www.zmescience.com/research/how-scientists-tught-monkeys-the-concept-of-money-not-long-after-the-first-prostitute-monkey-appeared/?utm_source=chatgpt.com🐒

🐒 https://youtu.be/zEmsSnetyu4?si=8gj33fHNlop2bPSo

“What that experiment exposed is something many women know in their bones: men will always find a way to access the female body, whether by paying, manipulating, or—when they think they can get away with it—just taking. Not all men, of course. But have you noticed that whenever women say ‘men do this,’ men rush to say ‘not all men’? Yet when men say ‘women do that,’ nobody corrects them. Funny how ‘not all’ only applies when men feel exposed.”

“But let’s go deeper.”

𝔖𝔥𝔢 𝔚𝔞𝔰 𝔐𝔞𝔫𝔶 𝔑𝔞𝔪𝔢𝔰, 𝔑𝔢𝔳𝔢𝔯 ℌ𝔢𝔯𝔰.

🇬🇧 English

• Whore: Derived from Old English hōra, meaning “one who desires”.

• Harlot: An archaic term for a promiscuous woman or prostitute.

• Strumpet: A derogatory term for a female prostitute.

• Tart: Originally a term of endearment, later used to describe a prostitute.

• Hooker: A colloquial term for a prostitute.

• Escort: A term for a sex worker who provides companionship and sexual services. 

🇩🇪 German

• Hure: The standard term for a prostitute.

• Nutte: A vulgar term for a prostitute.

• Dirne: An old-fashioned term for a young woman, later associated with prostitution.

• Liebesmädchen: Literally “love girl”, a euphemism for prostitute.

• Freudenmädchen: “Joy girl”, a euphemistic term for prostitute. 

🇫🇷 French

• Cocotte: A term for high-class prostitutes in 19th-century France.

• Lorette: A 19th-century term for a type of prostitute who had multiple lovers.

• Grisette: Originally referred to young working-class women, later associated with part-time prostitutes.  

🇮🇹 Italian

• Puttana: A vulgar term for a prostitute.

• Cortigiana: A courtesan; a high-class prostitute.

🇪🇸 Spanish

• Puta: A common term for a prostitute.

• Buscona: A woman who seeks out men for sexual purposes; a prostitute.

• Barragana: A concubine or kept woman.   

🇵🇱 Polish

• Dziwka: A derogatory term for a prostitute.

• Kurwa: A vulgar term for a prostitute; also used as a general expletive.

• Cichodajka: Slang for a woman who discreetly offers sexual services.

• Mewka: Slang term, sometimes used to describe a streetwalker.

° Diva: Slang term use it by men on garsoniera etc.

🇯🇵 Japanese

• Oiran: High-ranking courtesans in the Edo period, known for their cultural refinement.

• Tayū: The highest rank of oiran.

• Yūjo: A general term for prostitutes.  

🇨🇳 Chinese

• Geji (歌妓): Female entertainers skilled in singing and dancing, sometimes providing sexual services.

• Yiji (艺妓): Courtesans known for their artistic talents. 

🇮🇳 Indian

• Tawaif: Courtesans who entertained nobility with music and dance, sometimes involved in prostitution.

• Ganika: High-class courtesans mentioned in ancient texts, trained in 64 arts.   

🇮🇱 Hebrew

• Zonah (זונה): A term used in the Hebrew Bible to denote a prostitute.

Yet not all who sold desire shared the same name

Maîtresse → Mistress

A woman in a long-term extramarital relationship, often kept by a wealthy or powerful man. Think royal lovers, like Madame de Pompadour.

2. Courtesane → Courtesan

High-class companion or lover, cultured and politically influential. A “kurtyzana” in Polish.

3. Demi-mondaine → Lady of the demi-monde

Literally: “half-world woman.” A glamorous woman on the edge of high society — often financially supported but not “respectable.”

4. Cocotte → Kept woman / Coquette

A chic, flirtatious woman, fashionable in Belle Époque France. Sometimes used affectionately, sometimes mockingly.

5. Lorette

A 19th-century Parisian term for a young courtesan or a working-class woman who received gifts in exchange for affection.

__________________

Throughout history, languages have gifted euphemisms and elegance to the oldest profession. From the salon of Versailles to the shadowed streets of Montmartre, names cloaked the scandal in silk.

A bit of history & politic

🏛️ Prostitution in Ancient Rome: Attire and Regulations

In ancient Rome, prostitutes were legally required to wear the toga muliebris, a garment typically associated with men, to distinguish themselves from respectable women who wore the stola. This regulation aimed to mark their profession clearly. While some sources suggest that prostitutes wore yellow garments, this association is debated among historians. 

Sources:

• Prostitutes, Roman Law, and the Toga

• The Color of Roman Clothes – Romana Humanitas

• Dispelling Some Myths: Was yellow the colour of prostitution?

____________________

🌍 Governmental Use of Prostitution: The Case of “Comfort Women” in WWII

During World War II, the Japanese Imperial Army established “comfort stations” where women, euphemistically called “comfort women,” were forced into sexual slavery. These women came from various countries, including Korea, China, and the Philippines. The system was a state-sponsored form of sexual exploitation.   

✑ 𝑊𝑒 𝑑𝑜 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑤𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑒𝑥𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑠𝑙𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑏𝑦 𝑔𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑑𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑤𝑎𝑟, 𝑠𝑢𝑐ℎ 𝑎𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 “𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑡 𝑤𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛” 𝑖𝑛 𝑊𝑜𝑟𝑙𝑑 𝑊𝑎𝑟 𝐼𝐼. 𝑌𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑝𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑠𝑢𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑑, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟.🕯️🪔

Sources:

• Comfort women – Wikipedia

• The Brutal History of Japan’s ‘Comfort Women’ – History.com

• Comfort Women during World War II – Women’s History

So, my dear friends, as we already know, sex work does not have just one name. Unless you’re in Israel—then probably yes. 😉

But let’s look at what we might have missed.

There are street sex workers – people who sell their bodies out on the streets. Not exactly a glamorous sight. In Germany, when bus drivers for tourist groups get bored, they sometimes drive people through the red-light areas where women work on the streets, pointing them out like animals in a zoo. Tourists even take pictures of them—despite the fact that we have laws like Recht am eigenen Bild (the right to one’s own image).

Then we have the Polish mieszkaniówki – which literally means “apartment-based workers,” women who receive clients privately in flats rather than brothels or clubs.

There are brothels, nightclubs, sugar dating, and of course, escorting. Escorting breaks down further into two groups:

• Luxury escorts, who often cater to wealthy clients, travel, and present themselves as companions.

• And the more common apartment or hotel-based escorts (“Besuch beim Kunden” in German, meaning visiting the client at home or hotel).

⸻

Now, which of these forms can we call more ethical?

This is the real question. Ethics in sex work isn’t only about the place or price—it’s about consent, autonomy, safety, and freedom of choice.

You might consider this breakdown:

• Street work is often the most visible and most dangerous, with high rates of exploitation and violence. Ethical? Rarely—unless a woman truly chooses it with support and safety measures.

• Mieszkaniówki/apartment workers: Slightly safer, but still often operate without legal protection or rights.

• Brothels: Legal in some countries, and offer more safety—but still highly dependent on ownership and whether coercion or economic pressure exists.

• Nightclubs: These can border on trafficking if not tightly regulated.

• Sugar dating: A grey zone. Many say it’s not sex work, but if money or gifts are exchanged for intimacy, it often is. Ethical? Depends on the balance of power and whether it’s freely chosen.

• Escorting (especially luxury escorting): Often seen as the “safest” or most “empowered” version—but only ethical when women truly have control over their time, boundaries, and finances.

So maybe the better question is not “Which kind is ethical?”, but:

“Under what conditions can sex work be ethical—and for whom?”

Let’s talk about this in a comment !

PS: In the next article, we’ll explore the dangers of prostitution, the challenges women and teenagers face in this business, and who is most likely to get caught in this trap — plus perspectives on how to get out of it. Stay tuned!