Poverty & Sex Trafficking
Poverty & Sex Trafficking
Poverty & Sex Trafficking
How will Warren Buffett's $30.7 billion donation to The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, earmarked to fight poverty, affect global sex trafficking, the cause of which is rooted in poverty?
By, Sarah M. Gonzales
Table of Contents
Introduction: Fighting Sex Trafficking Means Attacking Poverty: Pg. 3 Poverty Fuels Sex Trafficking, Sex Trafficking Feeds Prostitution: Pg. 4 Poverty & Sex Trafficking: Motives Rooted in Human Needs: Pg. 6 Lack of Employment Opportunities in Poor Areas Leads to Sex Trafficking: Pg. 7 Sex Trafficking and HIV/AIDS: Unprotected Women & Unprotected Sex: Pg. 8 Conclusion: Time and Money to Make a Difference: Pg. 9 Article References: Pg. 10
Measuring improvement quotients in education is far more simple and obvious than quantifying change in a shadowy, illegal practice like sex trafficking. The true numbers of humans trafficked for sexual exploitation will never be known, thereby presenting an issue that will require the 20 years or so of dedicated research and money to combat.
voluntarily because of abuse or other harmful conditions. Very often it's not organized criminals but close relatives or family friends who encourage girls in poverty-stricken families to seek work abroad as an 'au pair or waitress.' These acquaintances know full well that the girl will be put to work as a prostitute and that they will directly profit from the 'referral,' Furthermore, it's not uncommon for girls to know what they're entering into, and to enter voluntarily to some degree. Maybe they think they'll be different and able to escape, or maybe they'd rather take the risk than feel powerless staying at home in poverty. [5] In the Philippines where land development government contracts are displacing rural families, it is estimated that up to 40% of the sex workers in larger Philippine cities are from these rural areas, forced to leave their homes and find work elsewhere. The only people profiting from these exploited women and girls are the traffickers, the bar and brothel owners and the government who touts their young sex workers as a tourist attraction. [6] From a recent article in the Philippine newspaper the Sun Star, Jun Malig writes of young, desperate Filipinas being trafficking to Japan for prostitution: The real danger of becoming an unwilling victim of human trafficking syndicates turns into a minor concern of a young woman who is desperate enough to hoist her family from the vicious cycle of poverty. Illusions and dreams frequently prevail over life's sad realities, especially in the youthful mind of someone very eager to escape from material deprivation. Many are prepared to face any form of consequences if only to free their families from the clutches of poverty. [7] In Kenya, where severe drought has driven many rural dwellers into the cities to seek work, a disturbing trend has recently developed. AllAfrica.com reports: parents have resorted to sending their young daughters into the towns to trade their bodies for money to feed their families. Because food reserves have run out and mothers can no longer afford to feed their children, many decide that the only way out is to 'go to the street', said Iris Krebber, regional coordinator of the NGO, German Agro Action. Many times, the girls are as young as twelve. [8] A report on the sex trafficking of children in Kenya released in June by UNICEF highlights the findings that more than 1,500 girls under the age of 18 are working as prostitutes or in bars in the Coast Province. "Our study shows that boda boda men (bicycle tax operators), beach operators, taxi drivers, police and even hotel and guest house owners are playing pimps in support of child sex tourism," says
5
the report. The report blames parents "who are encouraging their children to practise prostitution when they are as young as 12 years. Continuing from this article from Nairobis newspaper, The Nation, addressing this report: The deputy director of children's services in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ms Margaret Basigwa, challenged the society to freely discuss issues affecting children and families, to have a lasting solution to the problem. According to this report, parents have a role to play. And other Kenyans are to ensure that issues of children's rights, poverty and families are urgently addressed, she said, adding that figures showed that most children who participated in commercial sex were either orphans or from broken families. [9]
At the root of many of sex traffickings causes is poverty. Gayle Ferraro, a filmmaker who directed the documentary Anonymously Yours that focused on sex trafficking in Burma, calls these factors that lead to sex trafficking motives rooted in human needs. The film tells of the story of ZuZu, a young girl caught in sex trafficking, and of the factors that led her into it in the first place: poverty and a lack of education. [11] The NGO, World Education, has focused efforts on education for young women and girls in both Nepal and in the United States as a means to prevent sex trafficking among vulnerable populations. They have found that in certain districts in Nepal such as Nuwakot and Sindhupalchowk that have illiteracy rates of 90% and 92% respectively among females are among the worst districts for girl trafficking. While in the United States, susceptibility to violence and often, sex trafficking, was also indicated by a lack of education. For victims with less than a high school diploma the average annual rate of violent victimizations per 1,000 females was 48, compared to 28 for female victims who were high school graduates. World Educations Girls Access to Education (GATE) program which teaches Nepalese girls reading, writing, math and critical thinking skills, has seen great success since its inception in 1998. The GATE Program has provided opportunities for over 7,500 adolescent girls, aged 10-14, who had never entered or had dropped out of Nepal's formal school system. Over 30% of the first cohort of girls to complete the program enrolled for the first time in primary school. Of the 4,000 girls who completed the 2000 - 2001 GATE program cycle, 40% entered school. [12]
start their own business, not only provides money for themselves and their families, but it increases their self-esteem, their visibility and respect within a community and the incidence of domestic violence and sexually exploitation is also greatly decreased.
From Calcutta they are often sold again to brothels in Mumbai (Bombay). In Mumbai alone, it is estimated that as many as 70% of the sex workers there are infected with AIDS. Many young girls who have been infected with the AIDS virus while working as prostitutes and have been rescued and subsequently returned home will, along with their families, face social stigma and exclusion from their communities. Because of this, many will return again to the brothels as the only way to earn money for their shunned families. [14] AIDS education NGO, Avert, reports that: At the height of Thailands AIDS epidemic, more than 80% of HIV/AIDS cases could be attributed to women in the sex industry and their clients. [15] And the Ministry of Health and Sanitation in Freetown reports that: A 1997 study in Sierra Leone showed that 70.6% of those engaged in commercial sex in Freetown were HIV positive, compared to 26.7% just two years earlier. [16] Whether sex trafficking is increasing the incidence of AIDS as we see occurring in India, or if sex trafficked women and girls are more susceptible to contracting the virus because of their low status and a demand for unprotected sex as we see from reports in Thailand and Sierra Leone, it is an undisputed fact that sex trafficking and AIDS go hand in hand in these poor countries.
Bill Gates has noted that: although Mr. Buffet's money will double the foundation's annual giving, to around $3 billion, that still represents only $1 for each person in the poorer half of the world's population. [17] Perhaps with time, and dedicated individuals committed to seeing through dynamic programs to combat poverty, these goals will be accomplished and that "$1 for each person" although merely doubling the funds that may used to address poverty, will eventually double the quality of life, health and safety for the world's poorest people. As Melinda Gates said of education in the United States, it will take 20 years at least to closely see through a plan, in this case, a plan to combat poverty as the root of sex trafficking. Captive Daughters ten years in this fight has taught us that slowly, but surely, progress can be had and that results will come over time with dedication, research and willing individuals. Unfortunately, funding is always the element most lacking in a well-meaning plan. We want to encourage those with the funds, most especially The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, to consider sex trafficking as one of the most horrendous byproducts of poverty. Sex trafficking is slavery in the 21st century; not only are the majority of these trafficking victims struggling with poverty and day-to-day concerns of providing for themselves and their families, they dont even have the personal rights that every human should be affordedpoor or otherwisesuch as dignity and the right to do what they choose with their bodies and minds. Finally, we want to pledge ourselves to work in conjunction with a global plan to fight and end sex trafficking, and its cause: poverty. We believe that with proper funding that both can be successfully combated, and that eventually, every woman and child currently vulnerable to sex trafficking will be healthy, safely employed and have enough money to live without having to turn to slavery. Article References: 1. U.S. Census Bureau. Current Population Survey (CPS), 2005 Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC). 2. BusinessWeek. Bill Gates Get Schooled. June 26, 2006. 3. U.S. Women Without Borders. We Mobilize to Address Modern Day Slavery. October 25, 2005.
10
4. IOM International Organization for Migration. Trafficking in Migrants: Quarterly Bulletin. No 23 - April 2001 - Special Issues. 5. Medical News Today. March 1, 2005. Child sex-trafficking study in Bosnia reveals misperceptions. 6. Monte, Janice Lee. GABRIELA News and Features, 25 February 1999. Across borders: Sex trafficking of women." 7. Malig, Jun A. SunStar Pampanga. Malig: Unqualified Japan-bound entertainers? July 4, 2006. 8. United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs - Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN) Kenya: Drought, poverty forcing young women into risky commercial sex. March 29, 2006. 9. Namlola, Juma. The Nation (Nairobi). Kenya: 1,500 Underage Girls in Sex Trade, Says Unicef." June 23, 2006. 10. United Nations, Resolution 2768. 18 November 1971. 11. Kennedy School of Government Bulletin, Harvard University. MPA Graduate Exposes Sex Trafficking. Summer 2004. 12. World Education. Nepal and United States: Preventing Trafficking and Violence through Education. 13. U.S. Department of State. Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000: Trafficking in Persons Report: 2004 Report. 14. Grant, Matthew. BBC News. Girl-trafficking hampers Aids fight. November 30, 2004. 15. Avert, "HIV & AIDS in Thailand". June 18, 2003. 16. Ministry of Health and Sanitation, National AIDS/STD Control Programme Annual Report for 1998 (Freetown, Ministry of Health and Sanitation, 1998, p. 3. 17. The Economist. June 29, 2006. The new powers in giving. pg. 63-65.
11
Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.
Alternative Proxies: