Topic > The Contribution of Poverty to Human Trafficking for Sexual Slavery

IndexIntroductionThe influential effects of poverty on sexual slaveryGreed for profit influences and motivates sexual slaveryPatriarchal views within society make sexual slavery possibleConclusionIntroductionWe are often not aware of what happens behind closed doors. When we think of human trafficking, we think of young women kidnapped in poor, trafficked countries like India, China, and Russia, and forced to commit sexual acts for their captor's profits. Human trafficking, a $150 billion industry, comes in many different forms (Human Rights First, 2017). Human trafficking is no longer just a problem in developing countries, but has become a widespread issue throughout the world. It affects many types of people, but especially the poor, the marginalized, young women and children. They are victims of forced labor trafficking, organ trafficking, sexual slavery and forced marriages. While they are all very important, I believe that sexual slavery has the greatest impact and is the most harmful form of human trafficking right now. In a world where profit is prioritized over the greater good for human beings, I will argue that the trafficking of women for the purpose of sexual slavery is driven by poverty, greed for profit on the part of traffickers and a patriarchal control of society . Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The Influential Effects of Poverty on Sexual Slavery The problem of human trafficking has become one of the most critical problems the world is currently facing. Countries around the world see the devastating effects caused by human trafficking. The problem of human trafficking is rooted in many issues, however one of the most influential is poverty. Poverty causes countless problems for many people around the world, leading them to be victims of trafficking, either voluntarily or forcibly. Countries that are in a state of poverty often do not have the financial resources to guarantee adequate education for their populations, especially girls. The lack of education in many countries places significant limitations on the possible opportunities for these girls as they become young women. Children and women in third world countries are the most exploited in the sex market (Poulin, 2013). The reason why women are more exploited in human trafficking is due to the fact that in many poverty-stricken third world countries, women are not offered the same opportunities as men. These opportunities range from lack of access to nutrition, employment, education and health services that are vital to women's success. The result of the lack of opportunities and education is that women often seek alternative means of income which are not always legal or safe. Furthermore, women often do not fully know what they are getting themselves into due to a lack of education and social services. Sex traffickers often give false promises to women about how much money they will earn and the living conditions they will receive (Hamal Gurung, 2014). Many traffickers place women in very undesirable situations where their safety and well-being are compromised. Traffickers objectify and exploit the women who work for them economically, emotionally, and physically (Truong, 2006). Often, the result of this is that women face the same, if not greater, economic disparities than before they became victims of sex trafficking. Therefore, the women who comeinvolved in the sex trade to escape poverty, they are often trapped in a repetitive cycle of poverty and exploitation that is unavoidable for many, meaning they continue to be victims of trafficking. Greed for Profit Influences and Motivates Sexual Slavery While poverty is probably the main cause of sexual slavery, the increasing greed of traffickers for profits in the form of money is an equally large cause of sexual slavery. Compared to many jobs where a worker has to do work in the form of manual labor, provide a service or write reports, a sex trafficker doesn't have to do any of this, but still gets paid. In the sex trade industry, the woman is the person who does all the work while the trafficker is the one who reaps most of the financial benefits. While human trafficking earns traffickers approximately $150 billion per year, sexual trafficking and exploitation earn traffickers approximately $99 billion (Human Rights First, 2017). On average, a female sex trafficker will earn $100,000 a year, but will barely see any of it as most of it goes to her sex trafficker (Human Rights First, 2017). Many sex traffickers have more than one woman, which means that, for them, it is highly profitable with very little work to do themselves, as the trafficked woman does most of the work. The greed for wealth can be seen in drug cartels around the world. world, but particularly in Central America. There has been an increase in drug cartels actively participating in human trafficking. This is made possible by the skills and resources acquired since they have been active in drug trafficking. Specifically, in Mexico, drug cartels take advantage of the low security of the southern border to smuggle not only drugs, but also vulnerable people for use as sex slaves, forced labor, and child soldiers (Davila, 2016). This shows how an already wealthy group such as a drug cartel uses its resources and knowledge to increase its wealth by participating in other forms of trafficking. It is probably easier for a drug cartel to get involved in human trafficking, particularly sex trafficking, in a country like Mexico where corruption is widespread. The abundance of poverty and people seeking a better life in the United States also plays a large role in human trafficking operations in Mexico. Many people in poverty are unable to get to the United States on their own because of how little money they have, leading them to turn to a human trafficker. Because they are bonded to the trafficker, they are often exploited through sex or labor to repay their trafficker. Greed for wealth is one of the main causes of human trafficking, especially sexual slavery. Patriarchal views within society make sexual slavery possible While poverty and profit play an important role in human trafficking, a patriarchal control of society has a strong impact on how human trafficking can take place, in particularly sexual slavery. Violence is a fundamental aspect of human trafficking. Mostly men, they use physical violence to instill fear and gain control over young women in the human trafficking industry. This violence occurs through forms such as beatings and rape. Other forms of abuse, such as psychological and emotional abuse, can occur through manipulation and coercion. These forms of male violence are seen as the main cause of the sexual appropriation of women's bodies (Jóhannsdóttir, 2009)..