Ross Kemp’s Extreme World: Sex Trafficking in India

We just found this video from Ross Kemp’s Extreme World Series. I would highly recommend watching it (even though it is about 40min), as it shows all of the major contributing factors to sex slavery and trafficking in India in a holistic manner, as well as highlighting the magnitude of the problem. Ross shows the places where women are taken from, how they are taken and where they are trafficked to (from rural areas of extreme poverty through promises of a better life to major cities). He also interviews numerous people- the families of those who had children taken, women and children who were (and are) trafficked, the police and the traffickers themselves. Finally he also shows where women typically end up after they have been trafficked, enslaved and used: either killed, or HIV-positive with tuberculosis. This video definitely helps to encapsulate the severity, brutality and enormity of sex trafficking in India.

-Joshua

And the results are in for our Sex Trafficking Survey.

On the 11th of March, Hamish Joshua and I asked our colleagues and friends to head over to Survey Monkey and fill out really simple questionnaire. In this survey we asked 10 simple questions about peoples perceptions of the Global Sex trade and Human Trafficking for Sexual Purposes. Since then we have had a pretty good number of respondents. More specifically, as of the 5th of April we have had 114 unique respondents answer all the questions. We decided to randomly take 100 of these responses and analyse the results. Here are the questions and the pooled responses.

The first couple of questions we asked dealt with our sample demographics. So these are things like age and gender.

 

Thus it looks like the majority of our sample population are between 20 and 30 years of age with females representing 2 two-thirds of respondents. We next tried to identify how big of an issue Human Trafficking (as well as Sex Trafficking) is in the world by asking how many (people) and what proportion are male. 

From this figure above, our respondents think between 3-30 million people are affected by human trafficking, this value is surprisingly close to the actual numbers reported by the UN.  Furthermore, the majority of responses put the proportion of male victims worldwide at around 1%. But given the poor reporting of male sex trafficking, some figures place it at around 0.6%(1). What is clear is that a majority of victims of the global sex trade are female.

The next two questions involved the regional distributions (by countries) of both victim origin as well as their country of destination. Overwhelmingly, our respondents suggested that victims come from 'poorer' or developing countries such as Ghana, Bangladesh, Thailand (Africa/Asia) as well as Eastern European countries such as  Moldova, Ukraine and Russia. As for the destinations, we observe a shift in responses towards more developed or western countries including: France, United Kingdom, America, Germany and The Netherlands. Thus, it would seem that female victims are transported from poorer countries to richer countries for sexual exploitation. When we look at individual responses and correlate the answers for: where from and where too, in a majority of cases - they are different countries. Only a minority of respondents suggested that victims stayed in their own country. 

One of the more troubling questions that we asked was Q7 where we asked people to think of how old victims are when they are first trafficked. The findings are saddening although, not surprising. In our sample The age of victims is thought to be less than 15 years. We are seeing girls being trafficked for sexual purposes.  In terms of financial gain, How much money is generated in the global human trafficking/ sex trade (Q8)? Interestingly our respondents placed a moderate dollar value (~100 million dollars) on the global trafficking trade. Unfortunately, the UN places the annual dollar amount at closer to 30 billion dollars. Such a large annual figure places Human Trafficking in the top 3 global issues (behind Illegal Drugs and Arms Dealing).

On more local matters, we ended the survey with a couple of questions dealing with Australia and the respondents themselves. We were interested in if Australia contributes to Human trafficking (Q9) and if our respondents (who were predominantly Australian)  had ever contributed to groups who provide assistance to victims of sex trafficking. Overwhelmingly our respondents did view Australia as being a contributor to sex trafficking. While we can not identify how our respondents believed Australia contributes (either in the supply side or in the demand side) both are equally deplorable. Fortunately, a small number of people surveyed (~20%) had made a contribution to charities who deal with Human trafficking or try to combat the global sex trade. 

And so there we have it. The survey responses are in. It took an average of 4 minutes and 11 seconds for a respondent to complete our questionnaire. In this time, we have been able to generate a valuable snapshot of peoples views on the human trafficking and the sex trade.

 From our reading and understanding, our respondents were 'right on the money' in terms of the gender, age and geographical locations of the victims. We rightly think that victims come from poorer countries and are 'shipped' to richer countries with clients who pay for their services. We must also be careful not to underestimate the amount of money that is made form human trafficking and the associated sex trade. 

By Andrew

References

 (1) This percentage was calculated from data derived from: Ukraine Helsinki Report on Human Rights 2008. Chapter 18, Human Trafficking as a Violation of Human Rights.

Making the Hunters the Hunted

In order to stop human trafficking new tactics need to be employed. The most recent is harnessing technology…

 “We’re going to harness technology to stop them … [by] encouraging tech companies and advocates and law enforcement … to develop tools that our young people can use to stay safe online and on their smart phones.” President Barack Obama, 25 September 2012.

Human traffickers utilise technology at all stages of the process; from initial recruitment of targets through contacting them via social media, email or cell phones, to the logistical organisation of transportation, to advertising their human products, to the resulting financial transactions. And this all leaves a cyber trail.

Image from: http://real-agenda.com/2013/04/24/cell-phone-spying-device-raising-privacy-concerns

Technology giants such as Google and Microsoft are now collaborating with governmental and law enforcement agencies to utilise their resources in identifying potential traffickers by recognising illicit patterns of internet use, tracking cell phones, and recording financial transactions¹. By sharing this data on a global scale it’s an incredibly powerful tool in identifying, tracking and prosecuting traffickers.

Technology is also helping to prevent sex trafficking through widespread education of the warning signs, and protect those at risk by providing an avenue by which to contact law enforcement discretely. 

By Hamish Prosser

References

1. http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/210737.pdf

3. Victim Support for Those Trafficked

When you see law enforcement ‘busts’ of illegal brothels, or ‘stings’ targeting illegal prostitutes, you don’t think twice that women or man being handcuffed is guilty of their crime. But what if that person has been trafficked and forced to work as a prostitute?

More and more law enforcement agencies around the world are recognising that the guilty person may actually be a victim themselves. On 1 July 2009 the Australian Government implemented changes to the Support for Victims of People Trafficking Program (the Program) and the People Trafficking Visa Framework (the Visa Framework). These changes provide significantly greater support for victims of trafficking and their families in Australia. The majority of government’s around the world provide similar support systems to varying degrees, however many underdeveloped countries do not. It is these countries that also have the greatest incidence of trafficking for sexual purposes, for example India. As mentioned in a previous post by Joshua, countries like India where law enforcement to protect vulnerable individuals is minimal, and so too are its support systems for victims. In these countries victims are dependent on NGO’s (such as free the slaves and not for sale) and any community support networks available. These NGO’s are truly invaluable, providing not only the necessities of life, but a safe environment, education, counselling, medical aid, etc. Moreover, these services are provided long-term, a critical factor in order to effectively rehabilitate those undergone immense trauma.

NGO’s such as the ones listed on the right of our blog are critical for providing victims with the support they need, so please visit their websites.

By Hamish Prosser

2. Prevention of Trafficking

Sex trafficking and enslavement is being prevented through further global initiatives by the UN to diminish poverty, and reduce the demand for illegal sex workers (UN.GIFT). Increased collaborations between governments and law enforcement agencies across countries and continents is also significantly aiding the battle against trafficking; targeting traffickers at the site of origin, the destination, and all locations in between. 

Image from: www.ungift.org

The last 10 years has also seen significant steps to improve and enforce stricter laws against trafficking and enslavement. For example, Australia ratified the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime in 2004 and its supplementary Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children in 2005.

Maintaining strong border control is pivotal in preventing trafficking across borders. Furthermore, new methods of law enforcement are also being trialled with great success. Proving someone guilty of trafficking is often difficult due to lack of solid evidence. In response, police now cause ‘disruption’ to trafficking syndicates by incarcerating known traffickers for crimes unrelated to trafficking.

Image from: http://delimiter.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Customs-Border-Protection.jpg

At the community level increasing education about how to avoid being trafficked, and providing the necessities of life for everyone, are key. The international agencies, NGO’s, communities and families are critical in providing this, especially in countries where law enforcement does little to combat trafficking. If an individual can gain employment and earn a living themselves; or know that despite being impoverished, he or she can still source food and shelter from an aid agency, the need to sell themselves for those necessities of life is abolished, and consequently, so is trafficking and enslavement.

By Hamish Prosser

How are we fighting it?

The fight against human trafficking and enslavement for the purpose of sex has been long-standing and incredibly difficult. Not surprisingly, when the profits are so great and the demand has not ceased (despite the penalties threatened) it is an attractive industry to many well organised criminal groups. In order to stop sex slavery continuing, it must be fought across international, national, and societal levels.

The United Nations (UN) has been leading the charge, and continues to do so with the new Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (UN.GIFT) which started in 2007. This initiative includes many specific aims, but of primary importance are ways in which to protect people from being trafficked, stop and prevent trafficking, and provide support to victims of trafficking. These three key areas will be investigated over the next 3 posts.

1. PROTECTION

Protecting people from being trafficked involves reducing their vulnerability to it. This is an incredibly difficult task as those trafficked are predominantly from underdeveloped countries, impoverished, and have little or no support or safety networks. Reducing vulnerability requires change at the governmental level to increase social equality, educate society about what trafficking involves, how to be aware of it and how to avoid it. These strategies are currently implemented by governments in many countries, and adhere to guidelines set out by the USA (as depicted in our previous ‘Maps and Stats’ blog) in a global effort to stop trafficking. Unfortunately, several countries are yet to adhere to these guidelines and, not surprisingly, it is these countries that have the greatest prevalence of trafficking and enslavement.

Improving protection through reducing vulnerability requires the empowerment of individuals. This is especially important for women, as they comprise the vast majority of those enslaved and trafficked for sex. It is one of the UN’s Millenium Goals to increase empowerment of women through ensuring equal education and employment opportunities across the sexes. Numerous non-government organisations (NGO’s) are also providing significant support on the ground, providing education and employment opportunities in countries where women are not provided an equal opportunity, and are most at risk of falling victim to traffickers because of it (for example: free the slaves).

By Hamish Prosser

What we can do to stop sex trafficking

In our previous blog we warned against being overwhelmed by the enormity of sex trafficking and enslavery, and to be careful not to inadvertently victimise the victim through media sensationalising or sexualising the issue. As individuals it can leave you feeling somewhat hopeless, and that little can be done. But that is not the case. Increasing awareness and education of the factors driving sex trafficking and enslavement, and learning what can be done in order to stop the industry starts with you and me.

Here is a TED Talk by Sunitha Krishnan. A rape survivor and advocate against sex trafficking. As someone who has undergone this experience and deals with the victims of enslavement everyday, her message is truly invaluable.

By Hamish Prosser

Don’t Get Hyponotised by the Stats and Stories

It’s difficult to ignore a headline on TV or in the newspaper that reads “Paedophile gangs preying on children…”, or “Teenage sex slaves used as ‘personal ATM’”. But sex trafficking and sex enslavement is a topic that tends to be sensationalised by the media, fed by exaggerated facts, figures, and the graphic real-life stories of the victims, and unfortunately do little to support those whose lives are affected by this reality on a daily basis.

The far-reaching extent of sex trafficking and enslavement should not be ignored, nor the devastating impact it has on individuals’ lives. However, it is important that we don’t get lost in the hype and the emotions which are provoked when we see these articles. As stated by Ryan Turner, (Associate Director of Advocacy for the Human Trafficking Centre, USA):

 “Reveling in graphic details does not help victims and survivors, nor does it contribute in any meaningful way to the fight to end human trafficking. Rather, it tokenizes the experiences of victims and can trigger trauma for human trafficking survivors.” Ryan Turner.

While increasing public awareness of sex trafficking and enslavement is critical in order to combat it, it is important to recognise what is actually being portrayed by an article reporting about sex trafficking/enslavement. Is the article simply there to attract and entertain readers, or is it actually advocating in order to increase public awareness and help combat the issue? Ask yourself; if I was a victim of sex enslavement, would that article have empowered me or persecuted me further? Lastly, ask yourself what can I do that would be beneficial for victims of sex enslavement, or help combat sex trafficking? We will supply links on this blog to organisations where you can provide support to help prevent sex trafficking, and aid in the recovery of those trafficked. These organisations have been chosen as they provide direct support to those trafficked, and are subsequently most effective in their actions (please note we have no affiliation with any of these companies).

We promise that this blog will advocate for combatting sex enslavement using a positive and productive format without exaggeration or sensationalism.

By Hamish Prosser

Pornography: The Acceptable Link?

I was planning on including the effects of pornography in a previous blog, however it has become apparent that the issue of pornography is far more complex than I first expected in reference to links with sex trafficking. Hopefully this blog will show you how the pornography industry can contribute to the problem of sex trafficking.

So what are the actual links between pornography and trafficking?
According to one review article,¹ it has been found that sexual erotica such as pornography has wide spread personal acceptance and tolerance amongst adults in society. This is further reiterated by Covenant Eyes, a company that provides internet accountability and filtering services, which found that 85% of young men and 47% of young women watch porn at least once a month.² But just because viewing pornography is generally accepted by many people in society, it does not mean that the actual actors/actresses are not exploited, trafficked and enslaved.

According to the UN definition of trafficking, people are recruited by means of threat, force, coercion, fraud or deception, which means many individuals in the pornography industry are actually sex trafficked.³ One NGO states that performers are frequently threatened when they protest against doing something they do not want to do, or are coerced to act in scenes outside of their contract.³ Others are offered fraudulent promises of employment, money and working conditions. Furthermore, extreme coercion and force have also been reported on pornography sets.³ The following video tells the story of a young woman who was coerced and sold into porn by her husband, and is advocating for awareness and help for those enslaved in the pornography industry. Warning: This video does include specific and very upsetting details.

Taken From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFLGVyE7vnw

There are also numerous cases of trafficking that have been reported globally where individuals have been kidnapped for the purposes of filming pornography. For example, three victims from vulnerable populations in North Africa were kidnapped by an organised group who then forced the women to participate in sexual behaviour. The only difference from classic sex trafficking was that the clients were not served directly, but via the production of pornography.⁴

How else does pornography contribute to slavery?

Shockingly, in the United States, the average age of entry into the prostitution and pornography industryis 12 to 14 years. This is not surprising given that the primary targets of traffickers are youth, due to their lower life experience, fewer coping mechanisms and smaller social support.⁵

Furthermore, pornography has also been a major contributing tool used by traffickers to train women and children for sex trafficking^.6

By Joshua

References:

1.         Diamond, M. (2009). Pornography, public acceptance and sex related crime: A review. International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 32(5), p.304. Retrieved from Elsevier.

2.    http://www.covenanteyes.com/pornstats/

3.    http://stoptraffickingdemand.com/trafficking-within-the-industry/

4.    Peters, R., Lederer, L. & Kelly, S. (2012). The slave and the porn star: sexual trafficking and pornography. The Protection Project Journal of Human Rights and Civil Society, 1(5), 1-21. Retrieved from Porn Harms Research. http://pornharmsresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/MIM_PhArticles_PornTrafficking_JohnsHopkinsArtitcle_PetersLederer_11-26-2012_FinalReprint.pdf

5.http://sharedhope.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/SHI_National_Report_on_DMST_2009without_cover.pdf

6. http://stoptraffickingdemand.com/spread-the-word/

Influences on Sex Trafficking and Slavery

While it is clear that sex slavery has been an industry in operation for millennia, I was interested in finding out what the current drivers and influences are for the industry to be so shockingly prevalent.  

The particular context in each country is slightly different, and thus I would advise, if you are interested in a particular country, to have a look at the U.S. Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report which specifically addresses the issues of trafficking in each country. I decided to investigate the underlying factors, motivations and settings in which sex-trafficking occurs in India, as it is not necessarily thought of as a country with high sex trafficking rates (either that, or I am completely naïve!), and it faces many of the same challenges as many countries globally.

Shockingly, one NGO based in New Delhi, Courage Homes, estimates that 200 women in India alone enter into prostitution per day, with 80% doing so unwillingly.¹

Who is most vulnerable?

The most vulnerable women in India are those who are from a low socio-economic status (SES) background, however it is now clear that young women of higher SES backgrounds are at risk.²

How are women coerced?

As well as brazen kidnapping, girls are often coerced into the sex trafficking industry by two main tactics. One of the most common tactics to coerce girls (including those who are well educated) is to make promises of well-paying jobs in major cities, where they are instead forced into prostitution.² The second tactic (which was also seen in the movie Taken), is to have a girl ‘fall in love’ with a man who will sell her to a sex trafficker or pimp, or will prostitute her himself.¹ The Indian newspaper, The Hindu, highlights a personal story of this very case happening:

The latest case is that of 17-year-old Wahida (name changed) from South 24 Parganas, who was smuggled into the city by an acquaintance of her lover’s brother and sold to a brothel on G.B. Road in Central Delhi about a week ago. “Having completed my Class X, I had gone to get myself enrolled with a nurse training school where Siraj, an acquaintance of my lover Nasir’s brother, met me. He took me to an eating joint where we had some food, after which I lost my senses. My body was functioning properly, but I could not utter a single word. What happened thereafter I cannot recall. It seems he made me consume food laced with some drugs,” said Wahida, daughter of a rickshaw puller.³

Where is this most prevalent?

The major hubs for child sex tourism and sex slavery are in major cities and towns, as well as in religious pilgrim centers such as Tirupati, Puri and Guruvayoor.² Furthermore, women from Bangladesh and Nepal are trafficked through India for commercial sexual exploitation in the Middle East (as well as in India).² Indian women have also been found in sex slavery as far as Europe, trafficked through Ginea.²

What other contributing factors are there?

One of the major influences is the Indian government and their lack of compliance with minimum standards for eliminating trafficking (however changes are being made).² To highlight this, most police raids of brothels and other places of human trafficking such as rice mills and factories were prompted and insisted upon by NGO’s.² Furthermore, there are also allegations that some police harass and adversely affect the work of NGO’s in some areas of India. The factors surrounding sex trafficking in India are obviously deeply entrenched, as one NGO activist pointed out to The Hindu,

“I am working in a community which traditionally supplies women for prostitution and sees it as a source of livelihood. So to fight for a positive change by educating the girls in the community is an uphill task’’.⁴

Not For Sale, an NGO set up to fight slavery, has also found that up to 95% of female victims of trafficking in New Delhi rehabilitation programs are not provided education, employment, job or life skills training, thus leading them into the original state of vulnerability.⁵ Organisations like Courage Homes and Not For Sale are currently doing amazing work to restore trafficked victims’ dignity and future employment opportunities, as the video (Not for Sale India demonstrates.^5,6 However there is desperate need for more government help and society awareness to prevent sex trafficking from occurring in the first place.

 

Obviously this post has just focused on one country, and the factors listed here are by no means exhaustive.  However similar factors and struggles with the sex trafficking industry can be found globally and I would encourage you to visit the Trafficking in Persons Report that specifically addresses the issues of trafficking in each country. For more information, follow this link: http://www.state.gov/j/tip/rls/tiprpt/2010/142760.htm

- Joshua 

 References

1)   http://www.couragehomes.org/facts/

2)   http://www.state.gov/j/tip/rls/tiprpt/2010/142760.htm

3)   http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/article3681596.ece

4) http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-newdelhi/alleged-police-harassment-hampers-antitrafficking-activists-work/article4104109.ece

5)   http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/global-initiatives/india/

6)   http://www.couragehomes.org/therapy/

7)   http://vimeo.com/40600041

Health and the Sex trade

With all this information about the human sex trade, I was becoming more worried about the health consequences of people who are trafficked for sexual purposes. This is a pretty emotional area and must be treated with all due care and sensitivity.  

Also, with all this information, I was having a little trouble digesting it all. I usually pick up information visually and so I made a little infographic about some of the health consequences faced by trafficked inviduals. Although we know males comprise a small number of people trafficked, the majority seem to be females and thus I have concentrated on their health.

Reading these reports and listening to the people who help ladies after they are rescued, I was really impressed by the various strategies undertaken to help them out. I never realised the long term consequences of trafficking on emaotional and mental health. I now realise that care must involve the longer term treatment of mental and emotional health even after the physical scars have healed. 

by Andrew Garrett

Sex trafficking and enslavement in Australia

Just recently sex enslavement became National news with the exposé that:

‘Organised gangs of men are sexually exploiting children in out-of-home care and enticing them into trading sex for money, drugs and alcohol.’ ABC News.

Police reported that up to 40 children living in the care of the Department of Human Services in Victoria may have been sexually exploited in the past 18 months. This included children as young as 12 being transported interstate, exchanging sex for cigarettes, money, alcohol or drugs. The offenders gained the trust of these children through social media and befriending them ¹.

The most disheartening and disgusting part of this story is that the offenders preyed on children already suffering from significant trauma and pain, removed from family and support systems that you or I take for granted every day. These children were vulnerable, and the offenders exploited this.

Fortunately, in this case several men were charged, including the ‘ring-leader’ of the organisation.

Cases like this are rare in Australia, prevented largely by a police force targeting the exploitation of children, with 2,000 police, child protection and care workers in Australia (Bernie Geary, Commissioner for Children and Young People in Victoria), and well-defined and enforced legal Acts. Moreover, Australia is geographically isolated, has strong migration controls, and has numerous anti-trafficking agreements with countries across South East Asia to improve cooperation, prevent trafficking, and provide victim support ².

However, trafficking for sexual purposes DOES occur in Australia. In fact, the UN ranked Australia 21^st as a destination of human trafficking ³. The vast majority of people considered to be enslaved in Australia are women from South East Asia for the purposes of sex. (Statistics can be viewed at: http://www.law.uq.edu.au/human-trafficking-statistics).

It also appears that those enslaved in Australia are predominantly forced into prostitution. This raises the obvious question: Has the legalisation of prostitution driven sexual enslavement in Australia?

http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/wwtravel/960_540/images/live/p0/17/bg/p017bg2j.jpg and http://resources1.news.com.au/images/2009/05/17/1225713/050253-sex-out-of-control-in-sydney.jpg

Sweden would argue yes. And they may be right. Legalisation of prostitution in Australia has increased the demand for prostitutes, however this increase in demand has not been filled ². Sweden argues that this demand-driven system generates the trafficking and enslavement of women into prostitution. I tend to agree with this argument, however I also recognise that it is somewhat of a catch 22. As a nation we want to prevent humans being trafficked and forced into prostitution; but we also want to be able to provide those who choose to work in the sex industry with a safe environment, just like any other workplace. Prostitution is the oldest profession in living history, it will continue whether it is legal or not. Whether the benefits of legalising prostitution outweigh the potential for increased sex enslavement I’ll leave for you to debate by leaving comments on this post.

By Hamish Prosser

References:

1.http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-03-11/criminal-gangs-enticing-children-in-state-care-into-prostitution/5313632

2.http://www.humantrafficking.org/countries/australia

3.http://www.unodc.org/documents/human-trafficking/HT-globalpatterns-en.pdf

Tide of Traffick over Time

So….when did all this trafficking start?

Image from: www.athensdaytrips.com

It is well known that prostitution is one of the oldest and most celebrated occupations in humanity. During the Roman empire, the city port of Corinth was so wealthy that 1000 prostitutes/priestesses were paid to work at the temple of Aphrodite, and to ‘Corinthianize’ was to engage in extreme sexual promiscuity.¹ While prostitution and promiscuity has been evident throughout history, I was not sure how this related to the history of sex-slavery. So I decided to investigate a few different ancient cultures, particularly the Roman empire, in order to see how prevalent the sex trade was in other eras compared to the 21^st Century. What I found was quite astounding.

History of Polygyny (sex-wives)

Table 1, ² shows the extent to which polygyny was present throughout the ancient world, which had a strong relation to sex slavery.

Agents of the rich and powerful would ‘scour the empire’ and ‘procure as tributes’ women and girl sex slaves for their masters. It was clearly a brutal industry.

Image From: outre-monde.com

The Roman emperors, of whom most information has been recorded, were notoriously brutal to their slaves (or anyone who took their fancy). According to one historian of the time (Deo), when one father in imperial favour sent his beautiful daughter away to prevent her from being a forced sex slave of emperor Tiberius, both he and his daughter were killed. Other gruesome records of the emperors of Rome (Julius, Augustus, Caligula, Claudius and Nero) and their sex-slavery can be found in the article Roman polygyny ². This slavery did not just occur for the emperors of Rome however. In the Roman Empire, approximately half of the people were slaves, and the role of women slaves was primarily to produce more slaves, to wait on their women masters, or be sex slaves for their masters. Other historians of that time refer to higher prices being paid for women who were more physically attractive (thus being bought as masters sex-slaves).¹ It is therefore clear, looking at both Table 1, and focusing on the Roman Empire, that sex slavery was very much the norm in ancient civilization.

By - Josh Jeyaraj

 References

1) Swindoll, C. (2009). Insights on Romans. Zondervan. Retrieved from Google scholar.

2) Betzig, L. (1992). Roman polygyny. Ethology and Sociobiology, 13(5), 309-349. Accessed 30 March 2014.

For an interesting read, check out the abstract for [2], I've linked it here  http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/016230959290008R

Traffic Maps and Stats

The more people I speak to about sex enslavement and trafficking, the more evident it is just how naïve we are about the raw facts; both globally and within our own country. I must admit that I too am one of the naïve. But no more! SO HERE ARE THE FACTS:

REALLY IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER

Due to the secretive and illicit nature of human trafficking, the figures outlined above are best estimates only. Sadly, it is most likely that these numbers are substantially underestimating the true figures.

Profits earned by sex trafficking globally: 

 Approximately $32b US… yes, that’s with a b for BILLION!

Relative global impact?

Sex trafficking is number 2 on the United Nations list for profits made from organised crime, second only to drugs (National Human trafficking resource centre 2011).

How many people? 

A minimum of 12.6 million enslaved for sexual practices, 2 million of which are children (UNODC 2012; International Labour Organisation, 2012).

Average age of a trafficked victim? 

14 years

Women vs Men? 

Women and girls account for approximately 80% of trafficking victims (UNODC 2012)

Primary Countries involved: 

Europe, Central Asia and The America’s

Image taken from: http://europost.eu/article?id=614

Number of people convicted of sex trafficking globally:

Just 4,746 in 2012 (Trafficking in person report 2013, Department of State, USA).

The map below indicates compliance in enforcing the Trafficking Victims Protection Act to stop and prevent human trafficking. Lighter blue countries are more compliant in preventing trafficking.

 Image from:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/19/46000-human-trafficking-victims-identified_n_3467978.html

Insane fact: 

Humans sold for enslavement are worth less now than during times of legal slavery: the equivalent of $40,000 US per slave in 1850, and today children are regularly sold for $72 US (www.love146.org).

In Australia:  

Every year it is estimated that between 300 and 1000 people are trafficked into Australia, predominantly women from Asia for the purposes of sexual enslavement (UNODC 2012, human trafficking statistics UQ).

So wow ! I never knew just how far reaching and encompassing  sex trafficking is globally. With  32 billion dollars passing hands annually, this is an enormous, illegal industry.  I wonder how many other people knew the size of this problem. Did you?

by - Hamish  Prosser