Sexual being or emotional being? Inquiring the motivations of the clients of the sex workers in The Hague

Research focus on public policy regarding prostitution always prioritizes sex worker’s voices instead of the clients. On the name of the gentrification of the city centre, securitization of prostitution or anti-trafficking standpoint, the states introduce more restrictive law for both sex workers and clients. In the Netherlands, the state maintains the legalization approach though, the local authority differs to some extent because of the decentralization model of prostitution law. This study aims to uncover the perspectives of the clients of the sex workers in the two red-light districts (Dubletstraat and Geleenstraat) in The Hague, the Netherlands. The main objective was to contribute to the policy discourse regarding the criminalization of the clients of the sex workers. The factors that motivate the clients to access sexual services were the main queries to focus on their position. In this research, 10 clients (five from each street) of the sex worker were selected through purposive snowball sampling method where the street was taken as a stratum. Ethnographic orientation was used as a research approach with participatory observation and interviews in an informal setting in terms of methodology. Respondents highlighted the sexual and emotional needs, some associated it with an idea of commodified products. They also acknowledged the importance of prostitution in society for clients and sex workers. This research paper addressed the heated issue of the criminalization of the sex workers’ clients, it could be use to formulate policy for the betterment of the actors and institutions associated with this sector, however there remains some limitations to this study.