“What would you change about this place, if you could?”

<Aline pergunta as colegas como mudariam a Vila Mimosa para melhorar e atrair mais clientes. A maioria dizem, “limpeza.” Video em português.>

Aline asks her colleagues what they would change about Vila Mimosa to make it a better place to work or attract more clients. The answer is overwhelmingly to improve the sanitary conditions. Several women argue that a cleaner working environment would allow them to charge more.

Vila Mimosa is controlled by an association of brothel owners (AMOCAVIM). The sex workers themselves do not have a direct say in their working conditions, a point of contention that drove a permanent rift between Graça, the president of AMOCAVIM and owner of several brothels, and Gabriela Leite, the founder of the Brazilian prostitutes rights movement.

AMOCAVIM made a series of upgrades in 2014 in preparation for World Cup, including laying new tiling in the hallways and installing a massive new welcome banner, but none were sanitary upgrades.