Human Trafficking: The Seen versus the Unseen

Imagine being born into a world where your physical characteristics were used as tools for others' pleasure, where your dignity crumbled beneath your hands each day, and where your self-respect became the lost result of abuse, neglect, and cruelty. This is the lifestyle of many women today. Specifically in the red light district of New Delhi and in the brothels of Madrid and Manchester, women are forced into prostitution and abuse, sometimes by their own family members.  

The first article that I read on this subject explained how trafficking affects young women and the way a women’s right advocate is taking a stand. I found that girls are often tricked into marriage and are sold by their husbands. Zainab Salbi, a women’s right advocate, interviewed a brothel owner who explained that the “majority of prostitutes are trafficked women who have been sold into slavery.” One of the saved victims of trafficking, a young woman named Mina, reported that she was forced to sleep with about five to ten men a day and that she eventually came to accept prostitution and brutality as a way of life. One of Zainab Salbi’s goals is to save six trafficking victims. Unfortunately, this is a case of the seen versus the unseen – I did not realize how huge of an issue human trafficking was. 

Another article gave me more statistical insight into how widespread human trafficking has become and how often women are trafficked by their own family members. The article not only stated that “…the biggest illegal trade in the world is drugs and number 2 is human trafficking” (Andrew Wallis, head of anti-trafficking charity, UnseenUK), but also that “more than 80% of the victims…reported on the way back that their recruiter was someone that they knew before or that they’ve met through a friend or a member of the family” (Romulus Ungureanu, leader of Romania's fight against trafficking as Director of the National Agency Against Human Trafficking). One individual, Iana Matei runs a refuge for women who have been trafficked for prostitution. Matei stated, “Traffickers simply don’t feel they are doing anything wrong. Money is their God and worth making compromises for – so as long as they are making money, it doesn’t matter how they do it.”  

Both articles made me open my eyes to how big of an issue human trafficking has become. While we have many other issues throughout the world, there are many that are overlooked. I feel like human trafficking has become unnoticed, and because of that, it has escalated. Although it will take time to completely obliterate human trafficking for good, it’s worth putting the time and effort into. As the author of the second article I read stated, http://thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/2011/03/04/sex-slavery-a-family-business/ As human beings, no one, deserves to experience the brutality of human trafficking. 

--Mattie 

Articles: 

Wald, Jonathan. "Sex slavery: A family business." CNN. Retrieved March 28, 2011, from http://thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/2011/03/04/sex-slavery-a-family-business/. 

"The trafficked women of India's brothels." CNN. Retrieved March 28, 2011, from http://thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/2011/03/29/the-trafficked-women-of-india%E2%80%99s-brothels/?hpt=C2.