HUMAN TRAFFICKING

CAN WE PREVENT HUMAN

TRAFFICKING ?
We live in a world that has accepted man's absolute control over another. The
unjustified trade and enslavement of human beings in the 21st century reflects a
degenerate state of affairs which confirms that the greatest ethical challenge facing
the globe today is human trafficking. Human trafficking involves the use of human
deception to exploit the vulnerable through forceful stripping of their dignity and
self-worth. It portrays a contrasting picture of inequality among equals with regard
to the right of every individual over his or her life, as trafficked victims are compelled
to sell their inherent freedom and are subject to coercive subjugation. Their cry for
help is drowned in the sea of constant oppression and general sense of apathy
which has been continuing for centuries.
What is human trafficking? Commonly referred to as "modern-day slavery" is the
illegal trade of human beings for forced labor or for exploitation. Exploitation
referring to the using others for prostitution or other forms of sexual exploitation,
forced labour or services, slavery, or the removal of organs. Woman and young
children living in poverty are the ones who usually fall in the trap of the traffickers.
It has become an organized billion dollar industry and has at its core, investors,
unscrupulous recruiters and corrupt public officials as principal participants.
Globalisation has given birth to a service industry entirely dedicated to providing
transportation, forged documents, legal, financial and accounting assistance.
Exploiters take advantage of the broken environment of victims and lure them with
false promises of a better life. During the trafficking process, victims are subjected
to 'grooming' through constant physical and sexual abuse in order to force them to
submit. Blind faith leads victims to the pit of darkness as caution is compromised
because of desperation.
Sometimes parents, desperate to repay their debts, sell their girls to brothel owners
in return for a paltry sum. This is particularly seen in the 'Dalit' or untouchable
community in India. In Belize, school-aged minors are forced by their own parents
to provide sexual favors to wealthy older men called sugar-daddies, in exchange for
school fees. Daughters in Afghanistan are sold as brides to repay the opium debts
of their fathers. As the world progresses, often the gift of parenthood is sold out.

The most brutal form of sex trafficking is the commercial exploitation of children.
Sadists feed on the popular belief that having sex with a virgin would cure them of
sexually transmitted diseases. Little girls are raped and tortured to such an extent
thattheir reproductive system is permanently damaged depriving them of their
natural right to motherhood. The incidents of sexual exploitation among young boys
are seldom heard of because of the complete failure on our part to acknowledge its
existence which is further fuelled by the gender-biased assumption that there can
never be male victims.
Failure to reintegrate victims of sex trafficking in society is partly due to the social
stigma attached to their previous lifestyle. Those victims who are rescued are often
ostracized by the mainstream society. Standing on pedestals, created by our own
self-righteous minds, we judge trafficked sex-workers with disgust and contempt, as
we fail to realize that most of them were sold into the flesh trade by their families
and friends. This social isolation is one of the reasons that drive victims back into
the flesh trade.

PREVENTIONS:
Human trafficking is more or less a structured industry with both demand and
supply sides. Restricting demand, i.e. those financing such illegal operations, will
help in curbing human trafficking. Countries can collaborate to form a uniform
database for information on human trafficking. Embassies should become victim
friendly. Security at international borders should be tightened to counter
transnational trafficking. Training sessions should be provided to law enforcement
agencies in handling rescue operations and dealing with victims of sex trafficking.
Governments must realize that every individual has the right to life, which includes
right to food, education and employment and therefore must make provisions for
the same
Every person can contribute towards this cause by being vigilant in his locality and
reporting suspicious activities to authorities on hotline numbers.Only when we
started researching did we realize the absolute seriousness of this problem. It is
necessary to create awareness among students through seminars and workshops.
There is no doubt we live in a world that specializes in creating broken people every
day. We've reached a point where eradicating human trafficking is no longer
restricted to few willing individuals and organizations. Anyone, in any manner, can
help in minimizing this condemnable condition. It just comes down to whether we
are willing to take that first step.