Prostitution in Brazil

a history of struggle and invisibility far from the end

Abstract

There is a lot to be said about the “oldest profession in the world”, always being a controversial topic in the most diverse social groups. Its social and cultural aspects are rooted in Brazilian society since the beginning of colonization and, after the end of slavery, prostitution became the livelihood of most ex-slaves. In Brazil, it reached its peak in the 1930s, both through the literary works of the writer Jorge Amado and through the brothels in Rio de Janeiro, which became world famous and promoted sex tourism. In 1980, the professionals demonstrated in search of their rights, waiting for a position from the government. This caused a division between social groups that supported the regulation of prostitution as an “any” profession and those that considered its exercise as a form of sexual exploitation and commodifi cation of the female body. However, it was only in 2002 that, after numerous debates, it was recognized by the Ministry of Labor as a profession allowed for people over 18 years of age.