Hailey travels to Romania, in the midst of the largest protests since the fall of communism, to find out what it’s like to be the first generation of women raised in the EU.
This episode of States of Undress first aired on VICE TV in 2017.
ABOUT SERIES
Hailey Gates explores global fashion and issues the industry often ignores, showing us what the world wears, and why.
ABOUT REFINERY29
Refinery29 is a modern woman's destination for how to live a stylish, well-rounded life. http://refinery29.com/
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#fashion #romania #travel
This episode of States of Undress first aired on VICE TV in 2017.
ABOUT SERIES
Hailey Gates explores global fashion and issues the industry often ignores, showing us what the world wears, and why.
ABOUT REFINERY29
Refinery29 is a modern woman's destination for how to live a stylish, well-rounded life. http://refinery29.com/
RELATED CONTENT
https://youtu.be/pLswlkUc2Jo
https://youtu.be/yHQDKKlcOko
https://youtu.be/pJiRT8WWqNg
SUBSCRIBE TO REFINERY29
Subscribe to the Refinery29 channel: http://bit.ly/subscribe-to-r29
Follow Refinery29 on Instagram: https://instagram.com/refinery29/
Follow Somos on Instagram: https://instagram.com/r29somos/
Follow Unbothered on Instagram: https://instagram.com/r29unbothered/
#fashion #romania #travel
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LifestyleTranscript
00:03This is our backstage.
00:05Hi!
00:06Hi, Lino.
00:07Hi, guys.
00:08There's so much to look at in here.
00:13Are the judges scary?
00:15Sometimes.
00:23Do you have another alternative for the outfit?
00:26Because this is the gala.
00:28So now we will shoot the gala show.
00:30And gala means for us glam and, you know?
00:33Glamour.
00:33Yeah.
00:34So this isn't glamorous?
00:36He's what?
00:37No.
00:37Okay.
00:38Whoa.
00:39Wait, so it's happening right now?
00:41I'm gonna cry.
01:05You want a boomerang?
01:10Are you doing it slow-mo?
01:18We are in Bucharest, and it's very beautiful and very cold.
01:24Romania joined the EU ten years ago this month, and its democracy is still pretty young. It's only about as
01:31old as I am.
01:32Previously, the country had been under the communist rule of dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu, who was in control for nearly a
01:39quarter of a century.
01:40His brand of communism was uniquely oppressive, particularly for women.
01:45In addition to enduring labor camps and food shortages, contraceptives were banned, abortion was illegal, and this was enforced by
01:54frequent visits from the so-called menstrual police, who monitored women's cycles to make sure they were keeping any pregnancy
02:01to term.
02:02Fire for police! Fire for police!
02:04In 1989, the people revolted, took to the streets, and violently overthrew the government.
02:11People are in the streets right now, too, because the government is trying to pull one over on them.
02:18The newly sworn in government attempted to secretly pass bills that would decriminalize corruption, which sparked the largest public outcry
02:26since the fall of communism.
02:28This first generation to grow up under democracy is now taking a stand against the government.
02:34But these protests are clearly about much more than any single bill.
02:40Life is hard here. My parents' life is not easy either.
02:45I'm frustrated about everything because they've been stealing from our pockets, and we have to fight really hard.
02:57Many believed European Union membership carried the promise of stability.
03:02But ten years out, the country continues to grapple with issues of corruption and economic hardship.
03:09Though what membership did do was open Romania's borders for some.
03:12And because it's one of the poorest countries in the EU, it's no surprise that there is an exodus of
03:18young people leaving the country to look for opportunities abroad.
03:22And one way out has been the fashion industry.
03:26Andrea Diaconu is one of the most successful examples of this movement.
03:30Leaving at 19, she's since become one of the world's most sought-after models.
03:35Walking for everyone from Gucci and Versace to John Galliano and Ralph Lauren.
03:41And although she's left, she is fiercely proud of her homeland and its food.
03:48Hello. Hi.
03:56What's your favorite Romanian food?
03:59Cabbage.
04:00You know, cabbage is very resilient and you can always trust cabbage.
04:03What did you grow up eating?
04:05Cabbage.
04:06Cabbage.
04:10Where exactly did you grow up in Romania?
04:13I grew up in Bucharest.
04:15Bucharest?
04:15In a communist building.
04:17Yeah.
04:17What was it like growing up there as a kid?
04:21I was already modeling since seventh grade, so...
04:23Like, what was school like?
04:24I got beat up a lot.
04:26Which, when you're a kid in Romania, you think it's normal to get beaten up.
04:30Beat up by who?
04:31By, like, my teachers.
04:32Really?
04:33I had to bring Coca-Cola or coffee if you could afford it.
04:36That was better.
04:37Why did you have to do that?
04:38Bribery.
04:39Bribery.
04:40Yeah, bribery was rampant after communism fell.
04:46I heard there's seven ways to say bribe in Romanian.
04:50Yeah.
04:51I could think of three, but...
04:53And when did you realize how corrupt it was in comparison to other places?
04:59I realized it was really corrupt when I had my appendix taken out because this doctor was like,
05:04emergency, emergency, surgery, right away, we gotta go, we gotta take her in.
05:08And my grandma gave him money, and he was like, oh, she's gonna have a really big scar with this
05:13kind of money.
05:14Mm-hmm.
05:16So she had to, like, go home and get my money.
05:18What was your understanding of the opportunities you had as a woman in Romania?
05:22I mean, I'm lucky that I'm from Bucharest.
05:24I think I didn't endure as much as a lot of women.
05:29Like, my grandma has been through so much, her life is just horrendous.
05:35Since Romania joined the EU, it seems like a lot of women are trying to leave the country for other
05:41opportunities.
05:42Do you feel like it was a success when you got to leave?
05:45I have a lot of things to be grateful for.
05:47Do you remember what your first job was?
05:50Yeah, I was in a Peter Pan show at a hotel airport.
05:54A Peter Pan fashion show at a hotel airport.
05:56Yeah, and I was the main character. I was the witch.
05:59Yeah, I still have the hat.
06:01Do you know about this show, Bravo, I Steal?
06:07Oh, yes, I do. I do. My best friend watches it all the time.
06:10Really? Yeah.
06:10I'm going to be going on this show.
06:12You are?
06:13Yeah.
06:14I need help.
06:16How come?
06:17Can you give me some advice?
06:18You should just bring your own style.
06:22One of Romania's top TV shows is a fashion game show called Bravo, I Steal, which translates to Bravo, You've
06:30Got Style.
06:31I've been invited to appear on this television show, so to get ready for my Romanian TV debut, I'm headed
06:38to the mall.
06:40I guess the premise of the show is that you dress up in like a cool outfit and then you
06:46get judged based on your style.
06:48The theme this week is disco.
06:51It seems like a pretty intimidating show, so two of the contestants on the show are going to give me
06:57some tips.
06:58Hi, I'm Hayley.
06:59Hi, I'm Dana. Nice to meet you.
07:00Nice to meet you.
07:01I'm Sylvia, nice to meet you.
07:02Hayley, nice to meet you.
07:03So tomorrow I'm coming on the show.
07:05Okay.
07:06I have no idea what to expect, but I need some help in terms of like understanding what their taste
07:10is like.
07:11No problem.
07:12Do you see anything in here that you think might work?
07:15This is sort of disco.
07:17Yeah, it's nice.
07:19Yeah.
07:19But maybe...
07:21Look, this is very disco.
07:23I can see that going into that direction.
07:26What would you wear with these?
07:28You hate this outfit, I can tell.
07:32I live in the UK now, but I moved to Romania only for the show.
07:36Just for the show?
07:37Yeah.
07:37Why do you live in the UK?
07:39I left when I was 19.
07:42I had the chance to go abroad to work.
07:45Is there more work outside of the country, you feel?
07:50It depends.
07:50I think there are more opportunities rather than more work.
07:53I love my country a lot.
07:54That's why I came back, to try to do something here.
07:57Mm-hmm.
07:57But it's a lot of corruption at a high level since the democracies.
08:02Nothing got better.
08:03Things got worse from worse to worse.
08:06We have a lot of things to choose from, but regular people don't have the money to buy it.
08:10The money to buy it.
08:11Like, we build malls, but we don't have jobs.
08:13Does it make walking through this mall feel kind of strange?
08:16No.
08:17No?
08:18You still like it?
08:19Yeah.
08:20This might seem like your average indoor mega mall, but five stories of clothing options would have been unthinkable as
08:27recently as 1990.
08:30Under Ceausescu, all clothes had to be made within the state.
08:35Factories churned out communist-style ready-to-wear in an attempt to achieve one look for all women.
08:41There were a limited number of state-run stores for clothes shopping, and a few dozen state-sanctioned models would
08:48present each season to the nation.
08:53And while Bravo may seem somewhat frivolous, the idea of unlimited choice is still a relatively new concept here.
09:01So I guess it makes sense that the premise of one of Romania's most popular shows is now that you
09:07have choice, let's see how well you choose.
09:11I'm on the set of Bravo You've Got Style.
09:13It's very exciting.
09:14I still haven't decided what I'm going to wear yet.
09:18You ready?
09:19Yeah, I'm a little nervous.
09:21How are you?
09:23Nice to see you.
09:26I still haven't decided what I'm wearing.
09:28If the judges are not going to like it, it's not a folder.
09:32Are you going to get changed?
09:35I feel like I'm just going to, like, panic and make up some psycho story.
09:40Are you ready?
09:42No.
09:50I feel like I'm having a panic attack.
10:14The contestants today are competing for a cash prize
10:17and to claim bragging rights for having the most steals.
10:22Hello Hailey, welcome.
10:24Hello, thank you.
10:25It's a pleasure to have you here.
10:27Multimesc.
10:27Oh, you speak Romanian also?
10:29Very little.
10:30Tell me, where are you going dressed like this today?
10:32Okay.
10:33I had this idea that maybe I was a child conceived of a key party,
10:38and I turned the shag rug that my parents conceived me on into a suit.
10:44For real?
10:45Yeah, what do you think?
10:46And it's my birthday, so I'm celebrating.
10:48Ah, it's your birthday also.
10:50Happy birthday then.
10:54It looks like a bear who ran through the woods.
10:58Hey, I mean, hello.
11:00You knew that it was a gala, right?
11:03Sort of, okay.
11:05You can go like this, I don't know, for a coffee in Brooklyn with Paul Oster, let's say,
11:10but I don't think that's a very, very quite, I don't know, inspiring gala moment, gala outfit.
11:17Okay.
11:17I don't know.
11:18It's kind of disturbing.
11:20Oh, no.
11:20Oh, yes.
11:21Yes.
11:22No hay still.
11:24No hay still.
11:25No hay still.
11:29While I may have been publicly shamed on national TV, I'm pretty sure no one's watching tonight by the looks
11:35of what's going on outside.
11:40Protests have now sprung up throughout the country and show no sign of abating.
11:45It's really bringing out all walks of life.
11:52How many days have you been protesting for?
11:54Well, this is my third day now.
11:56Your third day.
11:57Yeah.
11:58And is corruption a big problem here?
12:00It's the biggest.
12:00It defines us in the last 25 years, so after the last revolution.
12:06Yeah.
12:07Is it easy for young people like you to find jobs right now here?
12:10It's not so easy.
12:12Everybody's finishing at least one college or high school, and they are very well prepared, but they don't have anything
12:18to do.
12:18So it's impossible for you to have a life.
12:21Right.
12:21What are they saying?
12:24The ones that are not jumping are not trying to make a change.
12:28Should we jump?
12:29Yeah, we have to jump.
12:32Although Romania has come a long way since state-supervised fertility checks, it feels like the country is once again
12:40at a crossroads.
12:41And my generation is trying to do something because we are the ones who are able to see the world
12:47from a different angle.
12:49We're here to find out what's at stake for this generation of women, and in this political climate, how they
12:55are choosing to express themselves.
13:04All across Romania there are protests going on, but we happen to be at Expo Marriage, an event designed to
13:12expose the pitfalls of marriage.
13:14Just kidding.
13:17Weddings are massive here in Romania, so we are here to try some cake, ride in limos, and put on
13:26veils.
13:26Under former communist dictator Ceaușescu, weddings by order of the state were reduced to a mere civil ceremony.
13:34But when communism fell, an industry sprung up that now offers a multitude of ways to celebrate your matrimony.
13:47No, attendință, invitațiile 3D care au forme dintr-o bicicletă, avem 3 lacuri, avioane.
13:55Plans?
13:56Yes.
13:56Strip dancers.
13:58You have male strippers.
13:59Want to show some pictures.
14:00Yeah.
14:02Whoa!
14:04Nice.
14:04Slice for more.
14:22The emphasis on marriage here is so strong that if a woman fails to marry before she dies, it's a
14:29tradition to bury her in a wedding dress.
14:32How long have you guys been together?
14:34Nine years.
14:35Nine years?
14:36Wow, that's so long.
14:37Yes.
14:38How old are you?
14:39Thank you for…
14:40How did you guys meet?
14:41On internet.
14:43She offers dragoste la prima veterea.
14:45But this white dress is more than just a symbol of love.
14:49After the fall of communism, some women used it as a means of escape.
14:53In the 1990s, Eastern European women flooded what is now commonly referred to as the mail-order bride market, fleeing
15:02economic hardship and lack of opportunity.
15:07You type in Romanian brides, the first thing that comes up is mail-order brides from Romania, mail-order brides
15:13from Romania, find a woman to marry.
15:15Most, if not all, of these websites are geared towards connecting men from other countries, Western Europe, the United States,
15:22to women in Romania.
15:24And today, while Romania's economy is in flux, marrying foreigners remains a popular way to make it out of the
15:31country.
15:33Matrimo is one of the most popular of these services.
15:36The company sets up a series of speed dates for foreign clients to meet potential Romanian wives.
15:56And what's your favorite success story?
15:58My name.
16:00That's how it was written in 2008 on our website.
16:04I have been able to address it.
16:06After a week, after a week, since we met.
16:11Oh my god, a week!
16:13Yes.
16:13What makes Romanian Brides so special?
16:17A strange character in general, from the women who live in foreign.
16:24They are more conservative, they are not so independent.
16:27They offer more attention to the family's role than a woman from French nationality, for example.
16:38But not all men looking for Romanian women are interested in their family values.
16:45Thanks to open borders, Romania has become a top sex tourism destination in Europe.
16:51But there's one thing that sets it apart from the likes of Amsterdam and Prague.
16:56Piping hot internet access.
17:00Romania has the fastest internet in all of Europe, which makes this country uniquely suited to be the EU mecca
17:08of webcamming.
17:11Webcamming is a billion dollar global business.
17:14And Romania has the largest studios in the EU.
17:20We're here at Studio 20, which is one of the premier studios, to talk to some of the ladies that
17:26work here.
17:50The studio keeps a private tutor on site to teach the girls about things American men like.
17:56As well as a masseuse, hair and makeup, and a psychiatrist, to keep these women in peak form to bring
18:03in a constant flow of dollars.
18:06Within the studio, there's an array of rooms that are meant to mimic a girl's bedroom.
18:12What kind of things do you like to wear?
18:14Sexy things.
18:16Like this.
18:16Okay, so more like a dominatrix.
18:18Exactly.
18:19What is the percentage of the clients you have that just talk versus ones that want?
18:24I have more people that I just talk.
18:27And do you feel like the power is in your court?
18:31Yes.
18:32And do you like that?
18:34Who doesn't?
18:36And there you are!
18:37Oh my God!
18:38Each cam session starts as a live video stream.
18:41Can anyone see us right now?
18:43Yeah.
18:44The objective is to lure men into privates, and that's where these women make their money,
18:49charging anywhere from $2 to $10 per minute for these one-on-one sessions.
18:54And just trust yourself.
18:55Okay.
18:56I'm trusting myself.
18:57Each girl is given a name by the studio, and Andra has just christened me Blue Sapphire.
19:05Okay.
19:06Hello, cam people.
19:08Where are you from, Blue?
19:10I am from America.
19:13Be mysterious.
19:14Okay, be serious.
19:15Be serious.
19:16Mysterious.
19:16Mysterious.
19:17Mysterious.
19:17Mysterious.
19:18Okay, sorry.
19:19Mysterious.
19:23What can you do for me for a couple of bucks?
19:27For a couple of bucks, I can do some push-ups.
19:30I can cartwheel, potentially.
19:34You should be aware that this is a horny guy looking to get laid.
19:39Okay.
19:40If you want to private, at least take some clothes off.
19:43Ooh.
19:45How about my shoes?
19:47She's never going private, I swear.
19:50Are there different price points for different girls?
19:52Our best earner this month, she earned $25,000.
19:58Wow.
19:59That's a good wage anywhere in the world.
20:01And in Romania, it's 33 times the average salary.
20:06Rebecca is one of Studio 20's top earners.
20:10Compared to girls your age, do you make more money?
20:13Plenty.
20:14Plenty.
20:15Yeah.
20:16You're providing this great life for yourself, but you can't really talk about it because there's a stigma.
20:22Yes.
20:23And they wonder, where do I have those money?
20:26Yeah.
20:26How did she get that car?
20:27Sometimes I have to say that I'm a rich girl and I have rich parents, which is totally not true.
20:33Is that frustrating?
20:34And yeah, because they think, ah, she's just a spoiled rich girl.
20:39She drive a Mercedes.
20:40And yes, it's frustrating because I would like to shout out the world into them.
20:44Hey, I'm working like 10 days in a row.
20:47Yeah.
20:48And if you weren't doing this job, what job would you do?
20:50I will always dream to be a lawyer, but in our country it's not so possible.
20:57Why not?
20:58It's big, huge corruption here.
21:00For people to find jobs right now.
21:02This is why sites are full of millions.
21:04Because you go to invest, you study, and then you go to have a job and you are getting paid
21:12like $300 a month.
21:15Mm-hmm.
21:16So you basically can survive.
21:19Have you guys been protesting?
21:20Yeah.
21:21We have been outside protesting because we don't agree with this.
21:29It's wild because I just left Studio 20 and just right on the steps of their work, the protest is
21:36happening.
21:37I think it was pretty interesting to be in a room with a camp girl who's saying that if there
21:41wasn't corruption in the government here that she could be a lawyer.
21:45Which gives us some sense of what kind of options there are for women looking to support themselves.
21:53This protest may be about a law, but I think for a lot of people here it's about lack of
21:58opportunity.
22:07Bucharest Fashion Week aims to give a platform to Romania's top designers.
22:14And it devotes a significant amount of runway time to bridal wear.
22:20I'm here to meet Anuradu, who's a famous designer here in Romania.
22:23She makes wedding dresses along with high fashion design dresses.
22:29Nice to meet you.
22:30Nice to meet you.
22:30Thank you so much for having us.
22:34Welcome.
22:40Looks very nice on you, this color.
22:42Yeah.
22:42My boobs aren't big enough, so.
22:45Who is the Anuradu girl in your mind?
22:49Were you rebellious as a kid?
22:59Really? Why did you run away?
23:01Because they wanted to marry me.
23:03I don't know if you know, I'm a Ciganca.
23:06Parents and families arrange their lives.
23:16Are you married now?
23:22I'm engaged.
23:23You're engaged! Oh my gosh!
23:46No.
23:49No.
23:50No.
23:50Are you inspired by them at all?
23:52No.
23:52No.
23:53No.
24:00The traditional Romani wardrobe is made of long, bright patterned skirts, loose blouses and headscarves.
24:07The term gypsy, which is commonly used all over the world, is actually a slur for Romani.
24:13And despite being one of the most discriminated communities in Europe,
24:17their sense of style has been the inspiration of many international fashion lines,
24:22like Gautier and Kenzo.
24:24However, within Romania, where the Romani are one of the largest minorities,
24:29the style still carries a stigma.
24:32Roma designer Zita aims to change that with her collection Romani Dreams.
24:37The line combines traditional Roma patterns with modern silhouettes.
24:46Hi!
24:47Zita!
24:47Hi, I'm here!
24:48And when some of us, yes, I don't say we are Romani,
24:53most of us, when we see a Roman ethnic woman with those long fustes,
24:58which are superbe,
25:00she's in a store and she's in a store and she's in a store and she's in a store and
25:04she's in a store.
25:05But through this collection, I wanted to bring the attention to people,
25:10that our Romani's clothes should be put in a different context.
25:18Why can't they appear on a catwalk?
25:21It's my wine, Mihaela.
25:22This one is...
25:23It's so cute.
25:24It's like for a Roma hipster.
25:28And it's a statement.
25:29I'm Roma and I'm proud to wear this.
25:32Zita is part of a Roma theatre collective with young playwright Mihaela,
25:37which aims to create work about the female Roma experience.
25:42We are the Roma feminist theatre company Juvli Pen.
25:47Juvli Pen in the Romani language means feminism.
25:52Actually, we invented this word because we never had it before.
25:56And what's the title of it?
25:58Who Killed Sommia Gramsci.
26:01It's about a girl who committed suicide.
26:03She was part of a very traditional Roma family.
26:06I mean, the girls are 15, 14, they are married.
26:18Her parents, the Roma community, didn't allow her to go to the school.
26:23Yeah, it's these things that Roma parents, they want to protect their girls.
26:27I mean, it comes from the times of the Roma slavery in Romania,
26:31when the boys or the owners,
26:34they had the first right to have the, how to say, to have the first f**k.
26:39Wow.
26:40Yeah, and the parents tried to marry the girl before this.
26:47Wow, that's crazy.
26:48And do you feel like the Romanian media has a distorted image of the Roma people?
26:53Yes, of course.
26:54And for us, many times, it's very difficult to deal between
26:57how to show the oppression that the Roma women are experiencing,
27:03but at the same time, to not reinforce the stereotypes about Roma people.
27:21So we're just leaving the theater.
27:24We're about to go into a Roma community to meet some girls who have been in early marriages,
27:30to get a sense of what that tradition is like today.
27:47Romania's relationship to the Roma community has long been contentious.
27:51So much so that the government once tried to pass a bill that would officially change the ethnic group's name,
27:57because many politicians were frustrated that other European countries were conflating the word Roma with Romanian.
28:05Roma women, in particular, have been the target of discrimination by politicians.
28:09In fact, one former party leader once said that all Roma women should be sterilized after their first child.
28:17What could have been interpreted as a suggestion of ethnic cleansing was met with less than a $2,000 fine
28:24for the politician.
28:25As a result of all of this, Roma communities tend to be isolated and are fiercely private about their long
28:32-standing traditions,
28:33like that of early marriage.
28:36We've traveled to a Roma community two hours outside of Bucharest to meet Adela, an advocate for Roma women.
28:43Hi, I'm Hailey. Nice to meet you. How are you?
28:48Bine.
28:50How long have you lived here?
28:52De-aici sunt. Sunt născut aici. Și sunt căsătorit aici.
28:57How old were you when you got married?
28:5918. Și am renunțat la facultate de dragul soțului meu.
29:04What's your name?
29:06Bianca.
29:07Nice to meet you, Bianca.
29:08Is that common that girls are dropping out of school in order to be wives?
29:13Da.
29:14Așa sunt crescu și crede că e ceva normal.
29:20De-aici este o păstă elevă de-a mea care avandona școala.
29:25El este soțul ei. S-au luat de mitii tăi.
29:29How old are you?
29:3018.
29:31Who's this?
29:33Julia.
29:34Ceea, mare.
29:35Unu aici.
29:36Ceea, am vreo mare.
29:38How old were you when you got married?
29:4115.
29:42Did you feel like you were ready to get married then?
29:45Yes.
29:46My wife was married at the age of 11.
29:54If you believe me, I didn't do it to be married.
29:59But I did it more because of the parents.
30:02This is the case of the middle of which she came.
30:06Her mother was born alone.
30:08They had restrictions.
30:10And when you lose something, it's normal to find something better.
30:14She has more freedom than as a child.
30:19Do you feel like you missed out on anything in terms of your childhood?
30:23For her, I didn't continue.
30:28And now I want to go to school.
30:35What was it like to become a mother?
30:38I thought it was so beautiful, I don't know how to say it.
30:43And I got love with her once again.
30:46I stand with her.
30:48I want to give her gifts.
30:50And their children grew together.
31:00I saw you playing outside with your friend.
31:02You guys seemed like you were having fun.
31:05Is she your best friend?
31:07How does it make you feel to see girls in your community getting married super young?
31:27When you're out having fun with your friends and the girls that you grew up with, that you used to
31:33play with, that are now married and they have kids, what do you think they see when they look at
31:37you?
31:37I think I would think that it would have been better to stay quiet and to grow their children.
31:49Think about what you want to do, what career you have.
31:53Think about what you do with your future.
31:56Think about it.
31:58Think about it.
32:02Think about it.
32:05Think about it.
32:14Do you have ambitions to leave this village?
32:24Think about it.
32:26Think about it.
32:29Think about it.
32:30Think about it.
32:36While Roma women grapple with the tradition of early marriage, all women in Romania now have to be vigilant when
32:44it comes to finding suitors.
32:46Young Romanian women's desire for companionship is being taken advantage of in a particular type of human trafficking scheme.
32:54Because in 2016 we have had 850 victims.
33:00They have believed that they have met their love.
33:03Romania is the largest country of victims in Europe.
33:10Three Romans are sold every day.
33:13The victims are constrained, even if not necessarily by violence.
33:17They can be constrained emotionally.
33:20Because we talk about a method of exploitation in the age of teenagers.
33:25It's called the method of lover boy.
33:27The lover boy method, as it's been dubbed, is a tactic where men woo young girls into a relationship as
33:34a way to coerce them into sex trafficking.
34:00I think in another country, or our country, this would have just been like a normal sex ed class.
34:05This problem has become so rampant here that they're having to do classes like this all over the country.
34:11What's it like to be a girl in Romania right now?
34:14I think that society, in general, and especially the masculine part of society,
34:19wants women to be more...
34:23...docile, more listening to men.
34:26Until now, as the time of our brothers and sisters,
34:29the principles,
34:31I think that women still need to be like a slug for a man.
34:39Despite initiatives like this class, the government has been criticized for its handling of sex trafficking.
34:45Traffickers are often given lax sentences, and for each one that is caught, far more go unprosecuted.
34:54A former sex trafficker who admits to having used the lover boy tactic has agreed to speak with me anonymously.
35:07How did you get them to fall in love with you?
35:27And why is it so rampant here in Romania?
35:31In Romania, you don't have any way.
35:33Only if you're a host, corrupt, or a politician as an idea.
35:40What would happen if one of your girls tried to leave?
35:43Well, if they left from me, it was a bad story.
35:47After that, we'd put them in a robbery.
35:49The robbery, meaning a special apartment, a apartment, a house.
35:54But I took them for a few weeks.
36:01And were you ever in trouble with the law?
36:05And were you ever in trouble with the law?
36:06And were you ever in trouble with the law?
36:14And you will disclose to them.
36:15But that love is very important, and the love that they said at the beginning.
36:21Are you ever afraid that someone might prosecute you?
36:39I was surprised that the trafficker was so open, but in other ways, I wonder if it's so
36:46normal here that it's not even that hard for him to talk about. When he said he wasn't afraid,
36:54I realized how much power they were wielding over these women.
37:05We were driving a few hours out of Bucharest to meet a young woman who is
37:09currently in hiding as she awaits a trial against her trafficker, a man she
37:15initially believed was her boyfriend. The anti-trafficking cops that protect her
37:21now, they've chosen this location, which is outside of the town that she's from, and
37:27they've deemed this a safe space for her because she's still very fearful of being
37:33seen by the people that she's prosecuting.
37:51At what point did you realize he was pretending? To have sex with you?
38:13How old were you at that time?
38:26So you were, you were away from home at some point?
38:44Did you ever get pregnant?
39:08Oh, mom. Is mom okay? Mom's in the room and she's having a hard time. I'm really sorry.
39:16I'm sorry. Why have you decided to share your story?
39:33The officer that is protecting her mentioned that it's sometimes difficult to get the side
39:40of the victim and they feel like they can't speak freely about it. And so, it's just, she has a
39:46lot of courage.
40:02We're here in a shelter in Bucharest for women who have been trafficked.
40:06Hi.
40:07Hi.
40:08I'm Hailey.
40:09I'm Monica. Nice to meet you.
40:10The location of the shelter and the identity of the women will remain anonymous because
40:14they're still going through trial.
40:16Monica runs the Open Door Foundation. Despite the prevalence of sex trafficking in Romania,
40:22this remains one of the only long-term protected shelters for trafficked women in the country.
40:29Wow. So pretty in here.
40:32Each girl gets to decorate her room the way she wants, the way she likes.
40:36And how many girls are living here at the moment?
40:38So we have four and two children.
40:41How old is the girl that lives in this room?
40:43She's going to be 24 this year.
40:48Were you scared?
41:01My idea was that from the very beginning that this would never be an institution. It would be a home
41:07they've never had.
41:08And why did you feel the need to open a shelter for trafficked women?
41:13Simply the need to have something that is of a great need for our country and a need that was
41:19not addressed properly.
41:22There was a transition shelter which meant they could stay there for 24 to 48 hours.
41:28But there was nothing after that for them.
41:42Why do you think this problem is so prevalent here in Romania?
41:46The idea of a woman being used and misused, this is a very common thought.
41:53But it's also, we're fighting with a very corrupt mentality.
41:57And I'm talking about starting at government level.
42:02We have a lot of VAPs involved in human trafficking.
42:07They don't want to do a lot of things to actually criminalize the clients.
42:12Why not?
42:15Well, because most of their bodies are among the clients.
42:21Have you been protesting?
42:22My goodness, of course.
42:27How many days have you guys been protesting out here?
42:30Thirteen days already.
42:31Thirteen.
42:32How long do you think this frustration has been building up amongst people here?
42:37Oh my goodness, it's been for years now.
42:40Honestly, to say that it was the icing on the cake, it's an understatement.
42:45We're just simply fed up.
42:48They have to go.
42:49And what do people want today, you think?
42:52Resignation.
42:58What happens here will have a direct impact on women's lives throughout the country.
43:05Being here in this space and seeing people's devotion to this cause, I mean, they've been out in the streets
43:11every single night and it is so cold right now.
43:17And they're fighting back and it's really inspiring.
43:22To date, these demonstrations are the largest in Romania's history.
43:28After weeks of protest, the Romanian government was forced to overturn the ordinance attempting to decriminalize corruption.
43:37Giving affirmation and hope to this young democracy.
43:41Giving know us a little bit of a rush now.
43:41That was the best of właśnieệc to see.
43:43hose rress
43:44No köst.
43:46You
43:53It's just for those two times you can see.
43:53You
43:55Not what you mean,
44:01if you had that datamill,
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