ABSTRACT
The end of the war marked the first step toward the decriminalization of prostitution: the law adopted in 1946 put a ban on brothels, whose owners had widely collaborated with the German army during World War II. However, the ban was limited to metropolitan France, and compulsory registration and health checks were maintained. The introduction was the consequence of France's ratification on August 6, 2002 of the UN Palermo Protocol to "prevent, suppress and punish trafficking in persons, especially women and children". Most social science research on sex work in France is based on ethnography, which offers an in-depth analysis of local sex markets, but does not allow for a quantitative approach. Sex workers' movements have a long history in France. In 1975, women in prostitution occupied churches, first in Lyon and then in various towns, such as Paris, Marseille, and Grenoble, in order to advocate against police harassment.
