Antwerp helps women leave prostitution

6 March 2007

BRUSSELS – The city of Antwerp is launching its EXIT project to help women get out of the prostitution industry, Het Nieuwsblad reports.

The city council has been working on the project for two years and is now awaiting a green light from the federal government. “Once we have that, we can be in full swing by April,” said Antwerp official Hans Willems. The city is still looking for a neutral location to base EXIT, far from the city’s red light district, the Schipperskwartier.

The project will operate under the auspices of health centre Gapro. This centre already provides easily accessible preventative medical care for uninsured prostitutes. The city is counting on a subsidy of EUR 104,500 from the federal government’s Urban Fund.

EXIT will employ a social worker and administrative support. The project will not only focus on prostitutes leaving the profession, but also on women in the industry who want to organise social and administrative matters.

Subject: Belgian news