Abs ac
This s udy shows a desc ip i e wo k on he elle ance o o eign p os i u ion in I aly in
he las yea s. I s a s by add essing he a ious admission phases in o p os i u ion and
quan i a i e da a on he issue. Secondly, i co e s he de ini ion and he ypologies o o -
eign emale p os i u ion. Thi dly, i add esses he ways o qui ing p os i u ion and he
u u e p ospec s o social in e en ion in his ield.
Key wo ds:p os i u ion, emale immig a ion, I aly, women sla e ade, p os i u ion ypolo-
gies.
Resumen. Conside aciones ace ca de la p os i ución en I alia. Con ex o de pa ida
Es e es udio mues a un abajo desc ip i o sob e la impo ancia de la p os i ución ex an-
je a en I alia du an e los úl imos años. Comienza dis inguiendo las di e en es o mas de
en ada a la p os i ución, así como los da os cuan i a i os sob e su p esencia. En segundo
luga , cub e ambién la de inición y las ipologías de la p os i ución de las muje es ex an-
je as. En e ce luga , a a las ías pa a sali de la p os i ución y las pe spec i as de u u o
en la acción social en es e campo.
Palab as cla e:p os i ución, inmig ación emenina, I alia, a a de blancas, ipologías de la
p os i ución.
Pape s. 60, 200085-97
Conside a ions on o eign p os i u ion in I aly.
A backg ound pic u e
F ancesco Ca chedi
PARSEC. Associazione Rice ca e In e en i Sociali
Piazza O. Ma ucchi, 5. 00162 Roma. I alia
[email p o ec ed]
Summa y
Pape s 60 085-097 29/6/00 11:27 Página 85
1. In oduc ion
2. The a ious admission phases
3. How many and whe e a e hey?
4. Sla e ade. Cues o a de ini ion
5. Typologies in he p ac ice
o p os i u ion
6. Ways o qui ing
7. B ie conclusions
Re e ences
1. In oduc ion1
«Me lin’s Ac » (o Feb ua y 1958) deeply in luenced he e olu ion o he phe-
nomenon, dec iminalising he c ime o p ac ising p i a e p os i u ion. In ac
in he six ies and se en ies p os i u ion p ac ised by I alian women, su e ed a
long i e e sible ans o ma ion. F om he «b o hels» hey ound hemsel es
on he s ee s and om he s ee s o p i a e houses. In he eigh ies, o he ypes
s alked he s ee s, i.e. he d ug addic s; and owa ds he end o he decade o -
eign women. In sho , we can a i m ha he i s appea o be dec easing nume -
ically, whils he second, e en hough in a disc ee manne , a e inc easing.
This las phenomenon has o be placed in he new con igu a ion o he
I alian socie y, ha is, om he phase o an emig a ion coun y o a coun y o
immig an s. I came in he se en ies, he ime, when he majo No h Eu opean
coun ies wi h an old his o y o immig a ion pu a s op o i , in 1972-73,
when he e ec s o social ans o ma ion ollowing he «economic boom» o he
o me decade became e iden . The end o immig a ion policies we e and con-
inue o be exp essions o bo de policies ha is, hey aim o s op o a leas
il e , he incoming mig a o y lows on he basis o p ecise clauses o no en ance.
These policies —amongs o he hings— ha e di e ed a pa o he mig a-
o y componen s, al eady ben owa ds mig a ing, in he di ec ion o hose
coun ies whe e hese laws did no exis and whe e he na ional labou ma -
ke s asked o unskilled manpowe . Tha is he Eu opean coun ies in he sou h
o he Medi e anean basin, I aly (in he i s place, since he i s hal o he se -
en ies) Spain and Po ugal ( om he second hal o he eigh ies) and G eece
( om he beginning o he nine ies). These coun ies —o he new immig a-
ion— a e aligning wi h he s op policy p omulga ed wen y yea s ea lie by he
No h Eu opean coun ies. The ba ie o ee ci cula ion ( o example among
coun ies wi h ex-colonial connec ions), he in e up ion o he ea y on man-
powe (in gene al be ween he No he n and Sou he n Eu ope including also
he Non EEC Coun ies) ha e in ac obliged, hose who we e al eady willing
o emig a e o ollow illegal ways o en ance, mos o en hose co e ed by
c iminal o ganisa ions.
In p ac ice, he necessi y o mig a e o wo k mo i es has been in e cep -
ed by hese c iminal o ganisa ions, because o he non-exis en ules o en ance,
he e o e igge ing a icious ci cle o mig a o y lows, illegal emig a ion and
p eca ious and unce ain se lemen s (a imes e y deg ading) in he des ina-
ion coun ies. Wi hin his mechanism lies also o eign p os i u ion (and
women sla e ade), p ac ised consciously and willingly (o a leas wil ully
chosen by he pe sons in ol ed) o else coe ced, i.e. agains hei pe sonal will.
86 Pape s 60, 2000 F ancesco Ca chedi
1. The ollowing wo k is he syn he ical esul o an empi ical esea ch de eloped wi hin he
DAFNE P og am o he Eu opean Commission in which pa icipa ed: Dipa imen o pe
le Pa i Oppo uni à, P esidenza del Consiglio dei Minis i; he Uni e si y o Flo ence; he
Uni e si y o Dundee, Dio ima o A hens; he coope a i e Pa sec Se izi; he Municipali y
o Mad id; he Municipali y o Bologna and he In e na ional O ganisa ion o Mig a ions.
Pape s 60 085-097 29/6/00 11:27 Página 86
2. The a ious admission phases
The p esence o gi ls who en e p os i u ion is socially isible in I aly a he
beginning o he nine ies and goes on, in a ious phases in he yea s o ollow.
These phases co espond o small wa es o lows cha ac e ised by he di e -
en na ionali ies, which a i ed oge he wi h he bigge mig a o y wa es
—which came in egula ly o i egula ly condi ions o si ua ion— o he
na ional e i o y in he las decade.
The i s in lux can be iden i ied in 1989/90: ha is because hese we e
he yea s o majo immig a ion om Eas o Wes (as a esul o he all o he
Be lin Wall and he consequen opening o on ie s); i was also due o wa in
he ex-Yugosla ia wi h he a e ma h o housands o homeless and e ugees
seeking asylum; and also because o he passing o a law in I aly, egula ing he
p esence o immig an s which —as i is well known— p oduced a signi ican
a ac i e e ec (Law n. 39/90, be e known as «Legge Ma elli»).
This i s wa e is cha ac e ised o i s magma ha makes i di icul o
de ine in a speci ic manne he a ious na ionali ies o g oups who p ac ice
(spon aneously o agains hei will) p os i u ion. I was in his pe iod when
«Polish gi ls» eme ged, e en hough i mo e co ec ly deno ed he women com-
ing om Eas e n Eu ope. In ac , e en he Hunga ians we e called «Polish»
no wi hs anding he ac ha hei p esence da ed yea s back, oge he wi h
he B azilian women and B azilian anssexuals.
The second wa e —de ined mo e om he poin o iew o na ionali y—
is ha o he Nige ian gi ls and, in a lesse manne , ha o he Pe u ians. These
gi ls a e egula ly admi ed in he coun y wi h a ou is isa. Once expi ed,
hey keep on s aying in I aly in a non- egula manne . I is mos likely ha
his second immig a ion quo a, included wi hin i segmen s o « aded women»
i.e. decei ed wi h malice and o ced o p os i u ion, especially among Nige ians.
The hi d in lux —be e de ined om he poin o iew o he main na ion-
ali y, Albanian gi ls, cha ac e ised he 93-94 biennium. These women who
had en e ed he coun y in a clandes ine manne we e mos ly coming om
big Albanian ci ies, who a i ed oge he wi h hei boy iends o male ela-
i es. E en in hese cases he ini ial ick (specially played by iends wi h no sc u-
ples) ca ies ou an impo an p os i u ion unc ion. Today we know ha
p os i u ion e enues we e in es ed in « inancial py amids» co e ed by he
Go e nmen o Ex-P esiden Be isha, who, in his u n, supplied o he illegal
ades.
The ou h in lux disco e ed in he las wo yea s, ha is, a he beginning
o 1995 was cha ac e ised by he a i al o women om Albania and Nige ia,
awa e ha , once in I aly, hey would ha e o wo k as p os i u es o pay he
deb con ac ed a he ime o hei depa u e. Wha hey did no know we e
he condi ions o iolen and agg essi e exploi a ion, which did no allow hem
any possibili y o e e absol e he signed con ac . As a consequence, his de e -
mines he p o ac ed na u e o his subo dina e ela ionship which ies hem
o hei pimps and de e mines he me hods o exploi a ion. A his s age we
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Pape s 60 085-097 29/6/00 11:27 Página 87
e en ind a change ela ing o he o iginal a eas o he o igin o he gi ls. They
a e ac ually coming no only om big u ban ci ies (as in he o he a i als)
bu also om li le inne u al illages. This makes us hink o a eadjus men
in he ec ui men s a egies by he a icke s, so much so ha mos p oba-
bly in he big ci ies he game is well known and so i is oo isky o hei
ansna ional business.
We iden i ied a i h in lux s a ing a he beginning o 1996 h ough he
i s six mon hs o 1998. I is cha ac e ised by a massi e in e en ion o
he police agains g oups o gi ls ha we e p os i u es o a long ime (Nige ians
and abo e all Albanians). A he same ime, g oups o gi ls coming om Russia,
Molda ia, Li huania, Romania we e o ced, wi h coe ci e me hods, o wo k
as p os i u es. This phase is cha ac e ised by he ac ha small g oups o gi ls,
in pa icula Nige ians and ex-Russian ci izens, a e b ough o he ci ies in
he Sou h, a i s in he a ea ound Naples and hen in hose o Ca ania and
Ba i.
The i egula me hods o admission we e bo h simila , in pa , o hose o
immig an wo ke lows, and di e en in some aspec s. They a e he same in
as much as he gi ls/women a e icked, and exploi a ion and coe cion begin
immedia ely on hei a i al in he coun y o se lemen . O he wise hey a e
di e en when he gi ls/women des ined o p os i u ion ha e been kidnapped,
and so hei anspo om whe e hey ha e been apped o he coun y whe e
hey would p ac ice p os i u ion is conduc ed in a e y disc ee and sec e
manne .
3. How many and whe e a e hey?
O icial igu es
The «Me lin Ac » (n. 75/58) has depenalized he c ime ela ed o he p ac ice
o p os i u ion, when his is p ac ised p i a ely, and in u n i agg a a es all
he illegal ac i i ies yielding om i . Fo hese easons, also cha ac e ised by a
deep sense o ci ili y, i emains almos impossible o de ine s a is ically his
phenomenon. Judicial s a is ics highligh only c imes o «ins iga ion, exploi a-
ion, and abe ing p os i u ion», ha is, hose c imes which a e commi ed
colla e ally o p os i u ion bu which a e no cha geable o hose who p ac-
ice p os i u ion i sel .
F om his poin o iew, he numbe o pe sons who ha e been denounced
( he majo i y being males) o he abo e men ioned c imes, ise om 327 in
1990 o 967 in 1995, ha is e iden , in he cou se o he quinquennium
denuncia ions iplica ed. The easons o such an expansion can be a ious:
—a g ea e sa e y and ques o au onomy and eedom in hose who p ac-
ice he p o ession owa ds hose who bene i by exploi ing hem;
—a wide e i o ial con ol by he police o ce and he p esence o women
agen s who acili a e con ac s wi h he « ic ims» (consequence o he me g-
ing o exploi a ion p ac ices);
88 Pape s 60, 2000 F ancesco Ca chedi
Pape s 60 085-097 29/6/00 11:27 Página 88
— he p esence o non-p o i o ganisa ions ha in e ene in he sec o and
sp ead hope among he gi ls o ways o qui ing he p os i u ion ci cui ,
and
— he phenomenon sp eads esul ing in he la ge numbe o accusa ions, s a-
is ically speaking.
These a e all c edible hypo hesis, bu none o hem alone sa is ies com-
ple ely he quan i a i e ex ension o he denuncia ions, e en hough all oge h-
e hey can o e a ange o a ious explica ions.
In 1994 he accused subjec s —subdi ided by Region and na ionali y—
we e 737 wi h highes poin s in Lomba dy (134) , Lazio (107) and Piedmon
(71). On a o al o 258 ci izens (equi alen o a hi d) we e o eigne s, in pa -
icula Albanians (70), ex-Yugosla s (65) and Nige ians (12). Ob iously —as
mos o he s a is ics o ju idical na u e— one can make a compa ison o he
denounced c imes o he ones which he police ca ch in he ac and so gi es
way o he «p ope ac ion» (denuncia ion o a es ). Tha is why he da a and
he o icial in o ma ion o e a pic u e o compa ison which is below he eal
igu es in espec o he eali y o iolence and p ac ices o hidden exploi a-
ion a ound he women (and e en males) who p ac ice p os i u ion.
The na ional nume ical alue
I on he one hand he o icial da a ends o unde es ima e he phenomenon,
on he o he hand he p ocedu es o es ima ion o he whole uni e se s a o
p oduce e y ea ly esul s on he componen s o immig a ion. We mus , he e-
o e, explain in de ail ha he p ac ice o p os i u ion in p i a e ci cles, as men-
ioned be o e, does no all unde he punishable c imes. In ac , le ’s suppose
ha o each denounced c ime co esponds a pe son who p ac ices p os i u-
ion, and hus we ha e a o al co esponding o he numbe o accusa ions
( ha is 3,000 pe sons in he yea s 90-94, wi h he excep ion ha he same peo-
ple appea in he coun mo e han once, in he same yea o successi e ones).
On he con a y, o o eigne s, o he co ela ed ac o s play a pa : i could
be de ined as he «ci izen e ec ». I is he lack o educ ion o he ull social
i ness, as well as he p esence o obs acles and o ms o esis ance o a ious
na u e, which hold up and slow down possible p ocesses o social inse ion.
Fo example: he esidence pe mi , he pe manen add ess, he social p o ec ion
ne wo ks, he access o se ices, he knowledge o esou ces and social dynam-
ics, he di ision o he wo king ime p ac ising p os i u ion and he ime spen
camou laged in socie y. In ac , i is basically he di icul y o de e mining es i-
ma ion and he s ong mobili y which cha ac e ises he p os i u es. Ac ually,
nex o he g oups which emain ied o hei usual « esidence», we ha e seen
o he g oups which mo e om one e i o y o ano he ollowing wo k oppo -
uni ies.
The es ima es show he nume ical consis ency ela ed o 96 and 98 on a
na ional le el. As one can possibly see —acco ding o hese igu es— he phe-
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Pape s 60 085-097 29/6/00 11:27 Página 89
nomenon was a ound 18,800 and 25,100 in 1996 and a e u he s udies i
esul s in a mino dec ease, om 15,000 and 19,000 in 1998. This dec ease
e lec s a be e es ima e calcula ed in he no he n as well as in he sou he n
egions. The la e , in pa icula , no ha ing been subjec o speci ic in es i-
ga ions in 1996, we e g ouped (and he e o e es ima ed) oge he wi h o he
non- esea ched cen al/no he n egions. The e o e, by ea ing hem in he
same p ocedu e hey we e o e es ima ed by a leas a hi d ( hey ac ually swi ch
om 5,000/6,800 in 1996 o 1,400/2,100 in 1998).
As ega ds o he geog aphical a eas —in he wo yea s conside ed— he
majo p esences a e hose concen a ed in he no h wi h igu es a ound
7,700 o 11,300 ollowed by he cen e wi h 5,600/7,000 E en in he no h
we ind sligh dec eases, ela i e o he es ima ions o 1998, whils in he
cen e — o he pa icula p esence in he Rome a ea— he nume ical con-
sis encies seem o emain unchanged. The di e en weigh o he p esence
o gi ls who p ac ice p os i u ion in di e en geog aphical a eas is ac ually
explainable, one could sugges ha he adi ional social con ol —in i s mos
wides meaning— is mo e signi ican in he sou h wi h espec o cen al-
no h.
This aspec leads o a wide p edisposi ion o ma iage and he o ma ion
o amily g oups a a younge age compa ed o hose in o he geog aphical
a eas whe e, among o he hings, one ends o emain in he amily ill he age
o hi y and beyond, wi h he consequen limi ed beha iou . I esul s ha
hese di e en beha iou s aim (a leas in his his o ical s age) o educe, in
he i s case, paid sex, whils , as a consequence, ends o a g ow h in he sec-
ond one. This does no mean ha whe e he e is a amily he e is less need o
paid sex, bu ha he p ocess o mode nisa ion, al hough necessa y, can p o-
duce o ms o indi idualism and o exaspe a ed non-communica ion be ween
males and emales. The caesu a ha de e mines impo an dis o ions in he
male/ emale ela ionships —no only among singles bu also in he ma ied
ones— is ela ed o a consequen exis en ial and emo ional s angemen o
bo h sexes.
The egions wi h a highe numbe o o eign gi ls who p ac ice p os i u ion
a e Lazio and Lomba dia, espec i ely, wi h 4,000/5,000 and 3,500/4,500 es i-
ma ed uni s. They ep esen , on he o he hand, he le el o appea ance o he
immig a ion phenomena; he egions wi h a wide a ac ion o se lemen ,
ei he o wo king oppo uni ies in small en e p ises and in he se ice ac i -
i y, o else hey ep es o he oppo uni y o socialisa ion ha big ci ies usually
o e , in pa icula Rome and Milan. These ci ies seem o be —as a esul —
hose wi h a bigge numbe o p os i u es, and also as we ha e al eady said
wi h a highe numbe o o mal denuncia ions. As a whole, Rome and Milan
ac ually each, acco ding o 1998 es ima es, abou a hi d o he o al, as o
he lowe es ima es (5,000 on abou 14,715 uni s) and a li le less o one ou h
wi h ega ds o he maximum es ima es (9,500 on 19,289).
Conce ning he o he egions —apa om Emilia Romagna and he
Piedmon , espec i ely wi h 1,200/1,600 uni s es ima ed in 1998— hey a e
90 Pape s 60, 2000 F ancesco Ca chedi
Pape s 60 085-097 29/6/00 11:27 Página 90
all below he 1,000 uni s, dis ibu ed on he ou ski s o big ci ies and along
he coas al eso s o highe ou is seasonal a ac ion (bu e en weekly).
4. Sla e T ade. Cues o a de ini ion
The di icul y in de ining he concep o sla e ade does no help o unde s and
well he en i y o he phenomenon, and o dis inguish i om he me e p ac-
ice o p os i u ion in all i s a ious aspec s. Ac ually, we can de ine he «sla e
ade» as ha iolen ac commi ed by one o mo e pe sons (e en in a coo -
dina ed con inuous way in di e en na ional a eas) agains o he pe sons, gen-
e ally women and mino s. The speci ic aim is o con ince hem o p ac ice
compulso y aspec s o p os i u ion, i.e. o o ce hem o ha e sexual encoun-
e s o money paymen collec ed by a hi d pa y o he so-called pimps. In sla e
ade he concep o up oo ing ela es o a mo emen om he o iginal coun-
y o om any o he place olun a ily chosen as pe manen esidence.
F om his angle, he aded women ( aded o p os i u es being o ced o)
a e subs an ially ic ims o kidnapping because o hei esis ance and opposi ion,
and a e sion owa ds he ul illmen o he ac ion i sel , on he one hand, and
ic ims o sla e ade, since hey a e up oo ed coe ci ely wi h he aim o inci -
ing hem o p os i u ion, on he o he hand. I is he binomial kidnapping/sex-
ual exploi a ion, which depic s he ype o sla e ade, in he p esence o a
coe ci e con inued s a us, educing he socioexis en ial i ness o hose ha
a e in ol ed and sna ed. The sla e ade also depic s a condi ion whe e eedom
—in i s posi i e and nega i e meaning— is educed o he ba e minimum and
whe e he poo gi ls can be bough and sold o di e en g oups o c iminals
and o a di e en na ionali y.
This condi ion o coe ci e iolence can be de e mined in di e en places
and in a ious phases: a he depa u e (s opping be o e he en ance in
ano he coun y); a he en y o he coun y o se lemen o in ano he
coun y (s opping a e some ime o con inuous in ime), as well as du ing
he s ay in he coun y o se lemen . Fo hese easons hese mic o lows o
people —apa om he ypology cha ac e ised by he kidnapping, so coe -
cion is absolu e and o he maximum— can be camou laged by he mig a-
o y lows in gene al; in as much as he conce ned ag ee (some imes o sho
ips) because hey igno e wha will happen o hem once hey a i e o des-
ina ion.
The ac ion’s con inui y p esen s a p ocess which can s a in he coun y
o o igin con inuing a he en ance and du ing he s ay in he coun y o se -
lemen wi hou any in e up ion, o else beginning and ending du ing each
phase o in mo e phases wi h he in ol emen o one o mo e pe sons. Howe e ,
depending on whe e i s a ed we can ind he o iginal sla e ade (s a ing
om he coun y o p o enance) and an induced sla e ade (s a ing la e ).
In he la e case, he condi ion o he aded woman is de e mined a a la e
s age, a he momen when an ex e nal iolen and coe ci e ac ion appea s,
which condi ions he no mal beha iou .
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Such a limi a ion comes om he so-called pimps (indi iduals o g oups)
who o ganise he sexual exploi a ion. In o he wo ds, we can a i m ha we
a e assis ing a sla e ade when he coe ci e cha ac e o he ela ion is almos
o al (kidnapping), and is inalised wi h he coe ci e p ac ice o p os i u ion.
Pa adoxically, he p ac ice o p os i u ion by he gi l de e mines, in ime, he
same condi ions o he ela ion which is es ablished wi h he so-called pimps.
In as much as he in e ela ion dynamics amongs he ac o s in ol ed can lead
o a weakening o he coe ci e p essu e and in oduce elemen s o nego ia-
ion. These can emain in an emb yonic s a e o else sp ead in a manne mo e
o less con enien o he gi ls, as hey can acqui e a ce ain eedom in mo e-
men .
5. Typologies in he p ac ice o p os i u ion
Li ing condi ions o aded women —in i s gene al aspec s— a e g ouped in
h ee p incipal ypologies, each o hem a e co ela ed:
— o he expe ience o lack o p e ious p ac ices o p os i u ion, on hei
a i al in I aly and o he o ms o consensus o deg ee o icke y, coe -
cion and iolence a he s a o he emig a o y p ojec , as well as he amoun
o deb con ac ed and he modali ies o epaying i ;
— o he empo a y du a ion ( om he beginning o he i s en ance) and o
he di e en expe imen al phases which cha ac e ise i ; o as a p ocess in he
s eng hening o he subo dina e ela ion (a a disad an age o hose con-
ce ned) o else as a p og essi e p ocess o unhooking o he same (in his case
o he ad an age o he conce ned);
— o he modali ies and le els o au onomy which he conce ned succeed in
acqui ing o each in p ac ising he p o ession in ag eemen o wi h a ce -
ain equilib ium in he oles and unc ions o each pa ne , o in a clea o
hidden con as wi h he «pimps».
The h ee ypologies, he e o e, whene e he a iables ci ed abo e pe -
o m a join unc ion, a e hose ecognised in he p ac ice o he p o ession in
apa men s ( ha is he «call gi ls») in p i a e o public p emises. This is he
masked p os i u ion, o example he «en e aine s», he «dance s» o he «po no
ac esses» o on he sidewalk («s ee walke s»). They a e, howe e , ecognised
—s a ing om hese— mixed ypologies cha ac e ised om he possible com-
bina ions which can be p oduced by he dis inc i e aspec s and modali ies o
one o he o he o ice e sa. Thei li ing condi ions a y acco ding o he
a ious posi ions he gi ls who p ac ice p os i u ion ha e in he gene al ypolo-
gies and hese a e also dis inguished by na ional o igin.
The p ac ice o p os i u ion as a «call gi l» is cha ac e ised by a p ominen
decisi e independence o he pe son, by he decision in o ganising logis ical-
ly (dis ic , p ices, ou es and mo emen ), as well as by he medical and legal
s ay in he coun y —pe missions and ce i ica es—, and also by he na u e
in he ela ions wi h he pimp. When he e a e pimps, hey ha e he oles o
92 Pape s 60, 2000 F ancesco Ca chedi
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iends o o he wise hey a e no in con lic o o iolen subjec ion, because
hey a e gene ally based on eelings and on a couple ela ionship.
The p ac ice o he p o ession in a masked manne — ha is, no o imme-
dia e isibili y in as much e y «p o ec ed» by ano he p o ession— is e ealed
in di e en ways. The mos popula a e: en e aine s and dance s in public
and p i a e places (nigh clubs), beau icians and masseuses, s ip ease s and
ac esses, as well as hei ex as wo king in po no ideos o as hos esses, en e -
aine s and esco se ice.
In ac , he ways o li e do no di e much om hose o he «call gi ls»,
in e ms o au onomy as o hei physical appea ance, o hei ela ions wi h he
pimps, and o he modali ies in which hey p ac ice he job. The same hing
can be seen by he p esence o women who had he same job in he coun y o
o igin (wo k pe mi o hese p o essionals is gi en wi hou any di icul ies).
The wo k o he s ee walke s is cha ac e ised by me hods ha di e a lo
om hose o he «call gi ls» o o he «masked ones», hanks o he s ong
social isibili y ha dis inguishes i . Li ing and wo king condi ions a e o en
co ela ed in o ms o gene al subo dina ion. In he i s place, o hei
«pimps»(wi h whom hey o en ha e pe sonal and emo ional ela ionships)
and secondly —specially o some g oups— li ing and wo king condi ions
a e linked o c iminal o ganisa ions, o he same na ionali y o I alian, wi h
unc ional connec ions o a ansna ional cha ac e .
Among he «s ee walke s» he p o ession is gene ally ca ied ou —in a
mo e e iden and di ec manne — o eimbu se he deb con ac ed wi h he
in e na ional o ganisa ions which gua an ee he expa ia ion, ei he when
he gi ls a e conscious ( ully o pa ially) o wha hey ha e o do o when hey
a e pushed o p os i u ion by coe ci e and iolen me hods.
In bo h cases, howe e , he p ospec o p os i u ion becomes slowly —due
o he iolen p essu es o he «pimps»— he quickes me hod o pay back he
deb o he c iminal o ganisa ion, igge ing —wi hou knowing— a mecha-
nism des ined o be aken o e e , and in a way ha di e s a lo om wha
hey had imagined. In he majo i y o he cases —as al eady men ioned— he
pimps hold back he passpo s and o he documen s, such as he s ay pe mi ,
o e en h ea en, no only he di ec ly conce ned, bu also he ela i es li ing
in he na i e coun y. In sho , i is o en a e y iolen ela ionship ha goes
beyond all easonable codes, o u he low in o mo e o less e iden o ms
o semi-sla e y and psychophysical subjec ion o he gi ls/women in ol ed.
6. Ways o qui ing
The ways o qui ing his icious ci cle (i.e. iolence on en y o in I aly, o ced
o icked as a means o be pushed o exe cise he p o ession, iolence o pe -
pe ua e he ac i i y) a e based on some e en s which a ise om di e en si u-
a ions, depending on he a ious ypologies.
In gene al, age plays a de e mining unc ion in hese women and he e-
o e he ime spen , i no he expe ience acqui ed by age, is he unde lying
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Pape s 60 085-097 29/6/00 11:27 Página 93
