Photo illustration by Krieg Barrie. On a frigid February night, most residents of Lausanne, Switzerland, are indoors, keeping warm in their homes. Prostitution has been legal in Switzerland since That was in Soon she met volunteers from a nearby church who were also ministering to this population, and together they founded the ministry. On that February night, Randewijk meets Anna and offers her a cup of hot tea. The young woman wraps her cold hands around the steaming cup, shyly answering questions from Randewijk and ministry co-founder Olivier Raess.
Anna is from Nigeria and has been in Switzerland for two years. Some of her answers are vague, making it unclear if she came here by choice, so Raess tells her about a nearby social agency that helps victims of human trafficking. After Raess prays for Anna, she rejoins a group of compatriots up the street. Sidewalk corners painted in red delineate where the women are allowed to prostitute themselves.
What was once a last resort for Swiss women has overwhelmingly become an end destination for women from poor countries. That often includes women whom pimps lured to Europe with promises of jobs in hotels, then forced onto the streets.
Brothels were among the first businesses allowed to reopen, while restaurants and cinemas remain closed. And because demand was low, buyers demanded lower prices and sex without condoms. COVID and the freezing temperatures this winter have driven business indoors or online.
A woman from Romania says although she needs the money, she will stay outside for only two hours because of the cold. Her friend Camille tells Randewijk a bit of her story: She has three small children who stay with her mother in Romania. Then she goes back to waiting for the next customer. The johns drive up and down the street, eying the women. But the ministry has built relationships with some of the women. Together they celebrate birthdays and holidays.
