‘Pretty Woman’ students sell sex to fund degrees

The Sunday Times ^ | May 11, 2003 | Simon Ostrovsky

[MadIvan]

ONE DAY Vera Golubeva would like to live in the West and work as an accountant, but she has no hope of a grant to finance her studies — so for now she is selling her body on a street in St Petersburg.

Golubeva, 22, is far from being an exception. A study has found many women who work as prostitutes both in Russia and abroad are not the poor, uneducated victims of coercion they are portrayed to be; they have consciously decided to become sex workers to pay their way through university or college.

The study, carried out for the MiraMed Institute, a Moscow-based organisation that tackles sex trafficking and social issues, found many Russian women were drawn into prostitution by the Pretty Woman syndrome.

Shonda Werry of Chicago University, who carried out the research, said women told her they had been impressed by films such as Pretty Woman that make the lives of sex workers appear glamorous. Like Julia Roberts, who plays the prostitute heroine, they hope to meet a rich man who will whisk them away to a comfortable life abroad.

“I have a few foreign clients who are in love with me,” said Golubeva, who is doing a correspondence course in accounting. “I could pretty much get any of them to get me a visa to their country if I wanted, but I’m waiting for the right one.”

She started dancing in a club on Nevsky Prospekt, St Petersburg’s main avenue, but moved to the street after a dispute with the owners.

Golubeva’s situation is typical, said Werry. “Many college girls talk about prostitutes’ glamorous lifestyle and are impressed with the benefits that come with the job.”

A few Russian prostitutes do appear to succeed in establishing relationships with foreign clients and go to live with them abroad. Many more do not. Student sex workers are often more concerned with making money than insisting their partners use condoms.

MiraMed, founded by Juliette Engel, an American doctor, has been campaigning to warn young women of the dangers of prostitution — and discouraging them from responding to advertisements for lucrative work abroad.

“People assume prostitutes just come from poor economic backgrounds; this just isn’t true,” said Engel.

It could be a struggle to persuade many like Golubeva who are already in the business to quit. “I can make $250 on a good night,” she said, “and my bosses have flashing lights on the roof of their car, so I don’t get any trouble from anyone.”

[gcruse]

Congtats. I think you're the only one that did.

[Travis McGee]

So I've heard! Oh to be a 30 year old American bachelor with a sailboat visiting Vladivostock, destination Saipan or Guam!

[pragmatic_asian]

"MiraMed, founded by Juliette Engel, an American doctor, has been campaigning to warn young women of the dangers of prostitution — and discouraging them from responding to advertisements for lucrative work abroad."

This seems to be a popular myth. Women aren't that stupid and those adds for lucrative work are widely known to be ads for prostitutes. And even if some women were initially tricked into the profession, that story would quickly spread. According to one study, however, nearly all the women who claimed they were tricked and coerced into prostitution to the police actually told their interviewers that they knew exactly like what they were doing.

The women that truly have no other means to support themselves deserve forgiveness like Magdalena.

[Clemenza]

This is not new. Women have been selling their bodies to fund many things, college educations included, for time immemorial.

[cyborg]

My best friend was a babysitter and maid in London... I was a maid, a shoeshiner, typed papers, etc. to make money... Is anyone ingenious anymore? How much brains and talent does it take to lay down and spread 'em?

[Thumper1960]

Ohh Lookee Here... An educated slut.

Hey! She can make change...right?

How hard could it be to make change with a belt coin changer and a bag of quarters?!

[Mortimer Snavely]

I had a charge nurse who had paid for her schooling by stripping in a biker bar. She wrote a story that was published in Easyriders magazine, about a biker who turned an old Harley gas tank into a classic chopper by wheeling and dealing.

[bluefish]

Well, if you think about it, "Lady of the Night" actually IS kind of PC way of saying Prostitute. Sex Worker puts it right out there - no mincing words or happy little euphamisms. Unless of course the phrase is intended to somehow provide legitemacy, which I fear it is.

[Matthew James]

And it's not just students. The casual observer can count several "families" arranging such "business deals" on Moscow's Ring Road at night.

The husband and wife pull over at a location near a busy intersection and wait. When a car comes by the woman gets out and stands in the headlight glow cast by her husband's vehicle. If interested, the passing vehicle slows and they bargain. At that point she'll either shake her head in the negative, or get into the passing vehicle. Her husband will either follow or wait.

I've seen it many times. What a horrible way to survive.

[AppyPappy]

You know why there are more Northern virgins than Southern ones? It takes Southern girls so long to say "QQUUUUUEEEE--UUUTTTT"

[Travis McGee]

When are you going to write your novel about the American officer in post communist Russia?????????

[Cathryn Crawford]

Hey, hey, hey! We Southern girls have morals, too!

[Matthew James]

I just need the time, my friend!

[Travis McGee]

Well then I beseech you to go to Staples and buy a very high quality bound (no spirals) 5x7 or so notebook, and drag it around with you like a teddy bear.

Use it to jot down memories of characters, places, etc. Sometimes pages at a time, sometimes phrases at a time.

My next five novels are in notebooks like that.

[Matthew James]

You're right; I need to get started.

[plusone]

or Socialator... (sorry, it was from Battlestar Gallactica)

[plusone]

'Decent' jobs in Russia pay 25$ per month, and that is the months when they bother to pay you. Average folks over there just get screwed (sorry for the pun).

[Principled]

I remember that!!!

They were in a space ship trying to escape something - I remember something about trash or garbage... or maybe i'm mixing it up with something else?

Anyway, I remember that episode and can see the lady's face clear as day. I had to ask what "socialator" was...

[Centurion2000]

Criminy .... what a world we're becoming

[plusone]

You've got two shows mixed together. The show about garbage was called 'Quark'. It was about this garbage collector in space. I don't think it lasted too many episodes (gee, wonder why?) BG was about the 'the rag tag fugitive fleet on a lonely quest, a shining planet, known as Earth'. (After all these years I still remember that line!) They were chased by those robots, remember the Cylons?