This article examines the complex relationship between women and human trafficking, analyzing their respective roles as victims, perpetrators, and agents for change. The author draws on experiences in northern Thailand to detail measures that are being taken by and for women to address the issue of human trafficking.

The International Labour Organization's (ILO) recent estimates suggest that around 40 million people are trapped in some form of modern-day slavery, an umbrella term that also encompasses many forms of human trafficking. Defined as “the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons by use of force or other means of coercion with the purpose of exploitation,” human trafficking includes forced labor, sexual exploitation, domestic servitude, organ harvesting, and forced begging. Despite extensive efforts to combat trafficking in persons, and despite the eighth Sustainable Development Goal's explicit call to take immediate and active measures to eradicate the phenomenon, human trafficking remains a grave global concern. 

The role women play in this phenomenon is complex. They are primary targets of human trafficking, involved in carrying out the atrocities of trafficking, and, as I learned during my internship at the Center for Girls (CFG) – a local grassroots organization operating in northern Thailand's remote border region of Chiang Khong – they are also part of the solution.

Women as Victims

Despite the fact that the share of male victims has seen an increase in recent years, victims of human trafficking continue to be predominantly female. According to the 2016 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report authored by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), women and girls together account for 71 percent of the total number of known victims. This is partly traced to a consistently higher demand for females, as over half of all human trafficking victims are channeled into the sex industry, but it is not the sole explanation. In many parts of the world, traditional views entrench the perception of women as less valuable in their own eyes as well as those of their community and family, ultimately generating a narrow expectation of the lives they can expect to lead. Confined to specific fields of work and/or facing limited access to education, women's financial prospects diminish, making them more susceptible to exploitation and inherently easier to prey upon.

In northern Thailand, I have seen how these perceptions help to increase the vulnerability of women. As a source, transit, and destination country for human trafficking, Thailand, particularly its rural north, is a focal point of trafficking within the region. This region’s proximity to the Golden Triangle, one of the world's most infamous drug and human trafficking routes, its proximity to source countries such as Laos and Myanmar, and the general vulnerability of the local population – a large majority of whom belong to stateless hill tribes that are denied the rights and protections awarded to Thai citizens – make human trafficking a constant threat. Yet women face even greater risk due to ingrained gender bias and the inequality, discrimination, and abuse that emanate from it.

Women as Perpetrators

Although they are the primary victims, the proportion of women engaged in the act of trafficking is also significant. Recent estimates by the UNODC find that 37 percent of those convicted for their involvement in human trafficking are women, a higher proportion than for any other international organized crime. Holding low-level positions or leadership roles, women are observed throughout the trafficking process as recruiters, traffickers, or beneficiaries. Many times these women were themselves victims of human trafficking and are either forced to traffic others or are promised rewards in return. Although human trafficking is often conducted using coercion, force, or deception, trust is also a key element. For this reason, women, who are often seen as more trustworthy, especially in the eyes of other women and girls, have an added advantage as perpetrators.

This was also apparent in northern Thailand, where girls often find themselves lured into the sex industry by women who themselves work in the industry. Often this is done by women they know, perhaps acquaintances or family members, who do not necessarily do it out of malice, but rather for lack of knowing better, believing that it is the norm or simply a good way for girls to make a living. At a local shelter housing teenage girls who had been identified as being at risk of falling victim to trafficking, I met several young girls who were there on account of this well-known danger. One girl was at risk because her mother was a sex worker, while another had a sister plying that trade. Because of the high odds that these young girls would follow in their footsteps, they were brought to the shelter, which offered them a protective and supportive home.

Women as Activists

Nevertheless, women are also to be found at the forefront of the struggle to abolish human trafficking. In the course of my internship, I saw local women come together to take an active stand against the continued practice of trafficking within their communities and witnessed their incredible efforts to end the imminent threat by addressing key issues.

Recognizing that the underlying causes that make women in the region vulnerable to trafficking include their impoverished circumstances, gender inequality, and lack of familiarity with their rights, CFG supports local women in their efforts to address these shortfalls. Led by a clear participatory approach, CFG works in close partnership with community representatives, and its projects aim to empower women and help them become agents of change. By educating them on their rights, increasing their understanding of what is considered abuse and trafficking, and developing their self-confidence and leadership skills, it pushes them to harness their potential and channel it towards protecting not only themselves but also those around them.

Indeed, these women can already be credited with considerable accomplishments. Firstly, the recent elections of women to several influential leadership positions in their villages have brought communities closer both to a change in attitudes towards women and to laws and policies that will protect them. Secondly, the successful establishment of communal social enterprises has strengthened women’s economic independence and reduced their risk of falling victim to exploitation. Thirdly, the formation of a strong network of women who act as watchdogs in their communities has raised awareness and increased reporting of the trafficking, abuse, and exploitation that occur in these communities.

Change is gradual, but the change that I have been seeing is promising, and it is the women who are leading this change. Taking charge of their lives and fearlessly tackling root causes, they are playing an instrumental role in the battle against human trafficking.

References: 

Global Estimates of Modern Slavery: Forced Labour and Forced Marriage, (Geneva: International Labour Organization, 2017), 5, http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/@dgreports/@dcomm/documents/publication/wcms_575479.pdf. 

Article 3 of the UN's Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons Especially Women and Children (2000). http://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/ProtocolTraffickingInPersons.aspx

Naama Hecht