Trafficking in Women

Trafficking in women is clearly a both a human rights and a development issue.   Apart from the human, social and economic costs of the sex industry, the spread of venereal diseases and HIV/AIDS, prostitution deprives women of the opportunity to pursue education and to achieve their full potential.   Therefore it deprives the nation of vital human resources for development.   This should be a particular concern in a country such as Thailand, (with an adult population with comparatively low levels of education but a rapidly increasing demand for an educated and skilled labor force) but also plagues countries such as the United States.
Trafficking in women is a repulsive and increasingly worrying phenomenon. It is a true development issue, rather than of a sporadic nature affecting a few individuals, in that it has extensive implications on the social, economic and organizational fabric of our societies.   The occurrence of trafficking is facilitated by globalization and by modern technologies and circumstances.   Trafficking in women not only involves sexual exploitation, but also labor exploitation in conditions similar to slavery.   The victims are subjected to violence, rape, battery and extreme cruelty as well as other types of pressure and coercion. Nations across the globe are much affected by these plagues to society.
Economically speaking, trafficking or prostitution has often been seen as a development problem from the supply side. That is, it is argued that young women and girls are forced (or pressured) into the sex industry by poverty and a lack of alternative employment and income-earning opportunities.
Common excuses include:  
"My child is ill and I had to earn money for medical surgery, my parents are retired and have no money to help us."
"Had no living space and had quarrels with relatives."
"Absence of financial means and bad relations with brothers (parents are deceased)."
Increasingly, prostitution and trafficking are also being seen as a... [continues]

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