The series by this Greek photojournalist looks at the evolution of her country’s sex industry and how it has been affected by the financial crisis. Over the course of two years, Myrto Papadopoulos immersed herself in the world of both legal and illegal prostitution to understand the relationship between the economic situation and the apparent increase in the number of working prostitutes.

“Prostitution in Greece is only legal in licensed brothels,” she explains, “where sex workers are required to get regular health checks. Many people are involved in the sex industry, some by choice but others by force. Greece continues to be one of the primary gateways for illegal immigrants to enter the European Union and is described as a key entry point for people-smuggling networks. One report suggests that up to 90% of victims trafficked into the European member states will end up in the sex industry. Most of the 15,000 prostitutes in Greece work illegally and have caused a sharp rise in sexually transmitted diseases.”

Since 2009, Papadopoulos has followed these sex workers in brothels, on the street and in their homes. We discover their private lives, seeing them nude, scantily clad and even on the job, but always photographed with tact, consideration and decency. Some prefer not to reveal their identities, so the photographer suggests their condition and feelings through portraits that combines sensuality with vulnerability. The raw atmosphere is bathed in warm yellows, reds and flesh colors, offering a contrast with the subject. This is the photographer’s way, artistically, to restore a little dignity to these women.

Jonas Cuénin

Read the full article on the French version of Le Journal.