Annemarie Jorritsma, mayor of Almere in the Netherlands and chair personof a gender equality committee, has proposed that the army might consider sending prostitutes along with the troops when they are serving abroad. She said in a morning tv show:

‘The army should provide an opportunity of release. Some have even suggested that with certain missions one could send some prostitutes alongside the troops. I think this should be up for consideration. If there are no female colleagues around, the soldiers might run astray with local women. And we do not want that’

Luckily the Dutch defence forces do not share her view. A spokesperson of the ministry of defence commented: 'We would like more women in the armed forces but not for this reason. Having more women in the army, especially in positions of leadership, decreases unwanted behaviour.'

Genral-Major Frank van Kappen, a military advisor to Nato, commented 'This is the most female unfriendly idea one can think of. Of course there might be women who are prostitutes voluntarily but if you go to an army base in a country far away you must be desperate. Should the army recruit the desperate?

(the translations are mine)