Human Trafficking Is A Pandemic Of

The 21st Century

Ewelina U. OchabContributor
Policy

Human trafficking is a crime in itself but it is rarely the end goal for the perpetrators. Once
the act of human trafficking is complete, it normally leads to further crimes like enslavement,
sexual violence and physical violence, among other forms of abuse. A prime example is the
case of 3,200 Yazidi women and girls who were abducted in Sinjar in August 2014. These
women and girls were trafficked to Syria where they were subjected to forced conversion,
forced marriage, rape and sexual abuse, forced abortions, physical and mental abuse, forced
labor and much more.
A woman with her mouth covered with tape walks during a protest 'For Freedom
against Human Trafficking' on October 15, 2016, in Guadalajara, Mexico. This
protest was convened in 300 cities in 40 countries all over the world to raise
awareness and protest against modern slavery and human trafficking. (Photo
credit: HECTOR GUERRERO/AFP/Getty Images)

The case of the Yazidi women abducted from Sinjar is an extreme case of human trafficking,
however, human trafficking is not just confined to war-ridden or failed states. No country is
immune to human trafficking. The crime is also committed right under our noses, and by men
and women in suits.

Human trafficking responds to and is driven by demand. Demand for cheap goods. Demand
for commercialized sex. And the demand is enormous. Indeed, human trafficking is a
business that generates a profit of approximately $32 billion annually. UNICEF estimates that
there are around 21 million trafficked people around the world. This figure includes some 5.5
million children. Human trafficking is a crime that is gendered; the primary victims are
women and girls. However, the number of trafficked men and boys is on the increase. The
UN Office on Drugs and Crime’s (the UN ODC) report ‘Global Report on Trafficking in
Persons 2016’ indicates that women constitute approximately 51% of trafficked persons,
men 21%, girls 20%, and boys 8%. The UN ODC report identifies that the most common
form of human trafficking is sexual exploitation. This demand for human trafficking is most
common in western and southern Europe (66%), central and south-eastern Europe (65%),
followed by East Asia and Pacific (61%) and South America (57%). Conversely, trafficking
for forced labor is most common in Eastern Europe and Central Asia (64%) followed by Sub-
Saharan Africa (53%).

Women and girls are the primary victims of this demand for human trafficking. What is
surprising (and breaking with the stereotype) is that in many countries where statistics on the
gender of the traffickers are obtained, women are the main perpetrator of human trafficking.
An almost unimaginable picture emerges of women subjecting other women and girls to such
cruelty. The report indicates ‘in some parts of the world, women trafficking women is the
norm.’

Combating human trafficking has never been more challenging, especially in the midst of the
worst migration crisis since World War II. Indeed, as the UN ODC identifies, cross-border
trafficking flows often resemble regular migration flows. Migrants, and especially refugees,
are extremely vulnerable to traffickers abusing their dire situation and preying on their
desperation to find a safe haven. The key concern to be considered is ‘that most people are
never identified as trafficking victims and therefore cannot access most of the assistance or
protection provided.’ This is often the case as, in association with the current migration crisis,
the movement or refugees and migrants are significantly mixed and make it easier for
traffickers to infiltrate and prey on the situation.

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Combating human trafficking means attacking the driving force for these other crimes, the
root causes which derive from and flourish in human trafficking. This includes addressing the
factors responsible for mass migration, be it armed conflicts, violence in general, hunger,
poverty, natural disasters and more.

On July 30, the UN marks the World Day against Trafficking in Persons. The annual day was
established by UN General Assembly resolution to address the ‘need for raising awareness of
the situation of victims of human trafficking and for the promotion and protection of their
rights.’ The resolution further mentions two important ways by which the issues can be
addressed, namely, by criminalising its practice in all its forms (by traffickers and any
intermediaries) and also by engaging the private sector in combating human trafficking
through ' focusing on the demand that fosters all forms of trafficking and the goods and
services produced as a result of trafficking in persons.’ Combating human trafficking is a
combined effort and requires many actors working together. Especially since human
trafficking is a pandemic of the 21st century.

Ewelina U. Ochab is a human rights advocate and author of the book “Never Again: Legal
Responses to a Broken Promise in the Middle East.”