Globalisation and Human Sex Trafficking in South Eastern Europe
Kerrin Proctor
Griffith University
Globalisation and Human Sex Trafficking in South Eastern Europe
Globalisation has greatly affected the global community in both positive and negative ways. One of the ways in which globalisation has had a negative impact on the global community is through the rise in the number of people who fall victim to human trafficking (Jones, Engstrom, Hilliard & Diaz, 2007). Human trafficking is a serious crime which affects many victims every year. It is not a new crime by any means, but since globalisation, the number of victims has increased exponentially. There are two main types of human trafficking, trafficking for forced labour and trafficking for sexual exploitation. This paper examines the latter form of human trafficking. In order to delve further into this problem, globalisation and human trafficking are defined. The paper then goes on to discuss sex trafficking specifically. This discussion is then further narrowed down to look at sex trafficking within the South-East Europe region. Finally, this paper discusses ways in which sex trafficking could be addressed.
The United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children (2000) defines human trafficking as “the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction,
Sex trafficking is a global problem that involves the exploitation and abuse of girls as well as women. This paper will discuss the problem, with an emphasis on the views expressed by Paola Monzini in her book Sex Traffic: Prostitution, Crime and Exploitation. The paper will look at the causes, consequences and prevalence rates of sex trafficking and will consider the impact of such factors as globalization and women’s poverty in perpetuating the problem or making it worse. The paper will conclude with a discussion of the ways in which a human rights perspective might translate into positive action to eliminate the trafficking of girls and women.
Human trafficking is defined as a recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, of receipt of persons, by means of coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, or abuse of power of a position of vulnerability for the purpose of exploitation (Human Trafficking Information). Today human trafficking, also known as modern-day slavery, has been one of the controversial issues in the United States and nationwide. In fact, it is now considered as the fastest growing multi-billion-dollar business form of organized crime. Also, Human trafficking is affecting the lives of millions around the globe and robbing the victims of their pride. As a matter of fact, Traffickers deceive men, women, and young children from around the world to force them into unspeakable
Human Trafficking is defined as “the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion” (U.S. Department of
According to, Violence against women:global scope and magnitude, “the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime defines human trafficking as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or recipt of persons, by menas of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abuction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or recievne of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation: including the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal
Trafficking in human beings is now the fastest-growing business of organized crime. Men, women and children are trafficked within their own countries and across international borders. More than one person is smuggled across a border every minute which is the equivalent to ten jumbo jets every single day. And the trade earns twice as much as the Coca Cola brand. (STOP THE TRAFFIK 2014)
There have been enormous questions on the effects that globalization has had on sex trafficking. Some have argued that globalization is characterized with the global efforts, funding and regional legislation that undermine the spread of the sex trading. However, the increased liberalization and other factors such as the presence of the internet have heavily favored sex trade globally and especially in the United States of America (U.S.A). The United States has been a destination for the many immigrants from third world countries and others that have been encroached with wars and terrorist activities. According to the National Human Trafficking (2017), 4460 cases of the trafficking were recorded in the U.S.A of which 3186 cases reported were linked to sex trafficking. In 2016, the reported human trafficking cases tremendously increased in 7621, and the sex trafficking cases reported also increased to 5593. The reported sex trafficking cases were 4183, 3593, 3380, 2382 in 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012 respectively (National Human Trafficking, 2017, 1). From the cases recorded by the National Human Trafficking Hotline, it is evident that globalization has created a favorable environment for the sex and the human trafficking. The economic, political and legal environment created by the globalization favors the spread of sex trade in the United States of America.
The illicit trafficking of humans for purposes of slavery continues to be a global issue and clear violation of fundamental Human Rights. Article 4 of The UDHR states; “No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms”. Human trafficking is defined as the commercial trade of human beings for the purpose of some form of slavery or exploitation, a clear violation of individual human rights. It is hard to quantify the extent of the issue, however the UN has estimated that there are over 2.5 million victims of human trafficking across state boarders. As an international issue, human trafficking requires international attention - however for international laws to be most effective they
The sex industry is rather large in Hungary and the majority of prostitutes who are called “sex workers” willingly participate in their act. There are many reasons why they choose this “occupation”. With the recent economic downturn numerous people were left without a job, and they need to act to survive. Most of these people decide to work as a prostitute, because the poverty level is high, they don't have opportunities to train for new jobs or their educational level is low to reach another level or society. The absolute majority strongly believe that their activity is merely a source
There are many definitions of trafficking in human beings. “The United Nations Convention on Transnational Organized Crime included a Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children (hereafter the Trafficking Protocol) in order to create an internationally agreed upon definition
Human trafficking is very inhuman and violates a persons human rights. Human trafficking can be defined as recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of persons, by threat and the use of force and other forms of coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, abuse of power or position of vulnerability, giving or receiving payments, benefits to achieve the consent of a person, having control over another human being, and
It is were women who have been traffic become victims of the sex industry. Some women like Katia 23 years old from Odessa in Ukraine are aware that they are being recruited for prostitution; however they do not realize the abuse they are going to suffer from their traffickers. After escaping from sex trafficking she confessed in a documentary call “ Sex-slave” that she could not believe places like that actually existed. She said “ I thought I will find I least one kind person, or that one of the pimps would set me free” “ they did not see us as human being but just as whores, as flesh that they could use. That's all”. Even if women consent to prostitution they are still abused and severely traumatised by their “buyers”. They become victims of sex-trafficking because they are held prisoner and at the end forced into prostitutions. They can not stop or leave when they want. They are denied the most basic human rights , and in the worst case, they are denied their right to life. In order to attempt, to regulate and control such terrible activities and discontinue the suffering from victims of sexual-exploitation, international organisations such as the UN, OSCE ( the organisation for security and co-operation in Europe) and the Council of Europe have put protocols and specific laws into place . Since the mid-1990s European institutions have
The Department of Home Land Security defines human trafficking as modern-day form of slavery involving the illegal trade of people for exploitation or commercial gain. This definition applies to the three different forms of human trafficking, but the purpose behind each one are quite different. Sex trafficking consists of
The United Nations on Drug and Crime (UNODC), the international agency that handles issues about human trafficking and other organized crimes, defines human trafficking “as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, by means of threat or use of force or other forms of coercion” (“What is Human Trafficking?”). The transatlantic slave trade is an example of human trafficking, where slave traders transported millions of Africans to take
The Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons in its Article 3 paragraph (a) defines human trafficking as presenting in a combination of various activities. The protocol explains human trafficking as activities involving, recruitment, transportation, transfers, harboring, and receipt of persons by use of threats and force or any form of coercion (Chuang, 2017). Force in the form of abduction, fraud, deception for a better life, or use of power versus the vulnerability of the person to give payments or benefits aimed at gaining consent. Victims of
Human trafficking “shall mean the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs” (Protocol To Prevent, 2).