There are about 27 million people who are being trafficked around the world. Around 70 percent of these people are females, who are then exploited in the sex trafficking industry, the other 30 percent are forced into labor.
Sex trafficking, especially in Eastern Europe, is a very serious problem. The clip from above is from a documentary called The Real Sex Traffic. It is a documentary about the sex trafficking industry in Moldova and Ukraine a.k.a "ground zero for the sex trade." This clip from the documentary does a good job in portraying the struggles that women go through when they go through an experience like being trafficked. It also exposes that traffickers can avoid jail time and get a slap on the wrist. A painful fact that that shows there is something wrong with legal systems if they don't adequately punish the exploiters. I liked the fact that this segment featured two girls with two different outcomes. Katia was released from her captures after being enslaved for two months in Turkey, and she was able to return to her husband and child. Tania, also escaped from her captures. However, she had to go back to Turkey to work as a prostitute in order to get money to pay for her family's medical bills, especially her little brother.
These women were two of the lucky ones, most women who are trafficked aren't that so fortunate. Even if a woman is freed from captivity, the chances that she will be trafficked again are high. According to The Demand for Victims of Sex Trafficking, a paper written by Professor Donna M. Hughes at the University of Rhode Island, a lot of these women come from poverty stricken lives and are lured by the promise of a better life by the traffickers. These women are then tricked and forced into a life that is nearly impossible to escape. The demand for these women normally comes from wealthier countries. According to Hughes, The men who pay for these women seek control over women and don't respect them. "They are seeking control and sex in contexts in they are not required to be polite or nice, and where they can humiliate, degrade, and hurt the woman or child, if they want," according to Hughes.
It's really disturbing to even think that there are people out there who want to do these kinds of things to other people. This modern day slavery is just sick, and these people need to be prosecuted more than they have been. It's amazing how a lot of the exploiters get off with a slap on the wrist.
What's great about thiss 65 page paper is that it goes into great detail about the sex trafficking industry. It talks about the demand for sex trafficking, what markets there are for sex traffic victims, and offers some ways on stopping sex trafficking. It basically covers all angles of the industry.
It might also be important to find out not only which countries give a slap on the wrist, but also which countries have stronger penalties, similar to the U.S. And then compare their penalties for trafficking to the penalties in the U.S. Which countries are more successful in repressing this occurrence, and could the success be a result of stronger penalties?
ReplyDeleteThat documentary is shocking. It really puts into perspective the punishment for what we consider to be harsh violations of human rights. How do countries run like that? Is there a commonality between countries that treat sex trafficking as a minor offense?
ReplyDeletemost of the government officials and cops in the poor Eastern European countries are paid off. It's basically the easiest way for the traffickers to get the women in and out of the country w/o being arrested. Even if they are arrested, their punishment is minimal.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty disgusted by the statistics I continue to find on sex trafficking. But I am more disgusted by the lack of information I find on those who run the trade. I rarely find the stories about these horrible creatures being brought to justice, which leads me to believe that the sex trade is far from ending. While it is comforting to know that women are escaping and rejoining their families, I have to wonder if life ever really gets back to normal. The memory of such a violent experience would haunt me to the end of my life.
ReplyDeleteCountries that promote the trading and violation of other human beings by their inaction are just as guilty as those who physically traffic the women.
that's interesting that there is such a demand for sex trafficking. It's sad to think that just because prostitution is legal in parts of Nevada, makes it seem like a 'victimless' crime.
ReplyDeleteLast December, New Pirate Radio, a streaming radio based in Tampa, had a competition.
They were giving away a two-night stay at the Moonlite BunnyRanch so people can start the new year with a BANG.
People called in and said they were fat, and had not had sex in ten years. Well, this sort of promotion can be aired over the radio, but what if it were soliciting a brothel located in another state, let alone another country?
Prostitution and sex trafficking are illegal everywhere else in the U.S. but Nevada, Louisiana, and parts in Maine.
Wow.. the statistics were ridiculous! The documentery really helps put things in perspectives. Nice job
ReplyDelete