SEX TRAFFICKING

SEX TRAFFICKING

Sex trafficking: Similar to Other Forms of Gender Violence

Sex trafficking is one of the current global lucrative industry. It is considered to be another form of gender-based violence (McAlphine et al., 2016). It has many characteristics that are similar to other types of gender violence such as having women and children as the primary victims.

Generally, gender violence constitutes any form of abuse, intentional or unintentional, of emotional, verbal, sexual, psychological or a physical kind resulting in, or have a higher probability to result in sexual, physical or mental suffering or harm to women. It is inclusive of coercion or threats that can lead to such acts or derivation of liberty (Parkes et al. 2016). Sex traffickers on the other hand, often use most of these acts to lure and trap their victims.

The use of power and control often dominates the victims of sex trafficking as well as other forms of gender violence. In South African for example, is a significant access point by most countries, women, and children, who are victims of sexual trafficking, are forced into a brothel and are used for prostitution and forced labor. This is similar to other forms of gender violence where sexual rights are denied and forced labor practiced.

Women are the primary victim in other forms of gender violence as well as sex trafficking. A worldwide database provided by the United Nations indicates that, in a span of three years, 2007 to 2010, more than 60% of the total sexual trafficking victims are women (Violence, M. N. A. D. 2017).

The tactics used in both scenarios are quite similar. They have a familiar concept, and they include emotional and physical violence, isolation, exploration and sexual abuse, threats to family members, financial exploitation, withholding food, medical care and sleep, use of children to manipulate other victims, and much more (Violence, M. N. A. D. 2017).

References

McAlpine, A., Hossain, M., & Zimmerman, C. (2016). Sex trafficking and sexual exploitation in settings affected by armed conflicts in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East: systematic review. BMC international health and human rights, 16(1), 34.

Parkes, J., Heslop, J., Ross, F. J., Westerveld, R., & Unterhalter, E. (2016). A Rigorous Review of Global Research Evidence on Policy and Practice on School-Related Gender-Based Violence. UNICEF.

Violence, M. N. A. D. (2017). Human trafficking and domestic violence.