If only the U.S. was as mature and focused on harm reduction of decriminalization.

The German brothel owners' association, BSD, has made a bid to introduce "controlled quality, transparency and service" to the country's sex industry with the launch of a "seal of approval" for brothels.

The purpose is to "counter the general vilification and many false conceptions about the structures and working procedures" in brothels.

The seal comes in three categories, or "stages," the most important being the stage 1 badge, which establishes who the owner of the brothel is, how they can be reached, how big the brothel is, and guarantees that it meets not just the minimum working standards of Germany's prostitution law, but also certain other standards.

The seal also requires owners to sign a pledge to oppose violence, forced prostitution and crime, and to provide fair, responsible and hygienic working conditions. To get the badge, the brothels must include certain facilities for the prostitutes, including spy-holes in doors, lockers, and alarms in all the rooms.  

The owners also have to prove that all the prostitutes are self-employed and working voluntarily, and can decide which customers they want to serve and which services they want to provide.

The other two stage badges include a more thorough overall assessment of the establishment and involve a kind of star - or "crown" - rating, from 1 to 6, for additional services like catering, a gym and events.

The BSD believes the seal is a better alternative to the recently introduced amendments to Germany's prostitution laws, which force sex workers to register with local authorities and undergo health checks. Sex workers' groups say the mandatory registration will force many prostitutes into more dangerous working conditions.

"This seal has many advantages," said BSD chairwoman Stephanie Klee. "For one thing it means we can look at the individual establishments, how good they are, how they can be categorized, and give them an incentive to improve. And we can tell sex workers, customers, and authorities that these are good, serious places that have transparency."

Prostitution is legal in Germany, but the prostitutes must be self-employed, so brothels effectively exist as simply places that furnish them with a safe environment to work in. So far, some 24 German brothels have already been awarded the seal.  

Source: dw.com