HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND HUMAN SECURITY: A GENDER PERSPECTIVE

This article analyzes the phenomenon of human trafficking through the interconnected lenses of human security and gender. It argues that trafficking is a profound violation of human security, as it represents a direct assault on the safety, dignity, and fundamental freedoms of the individual. The study then provides a detailed gender perspective, demonstrating that women and girls are disproportionately the victims of trafficking, particularly for sexual exploitation. The research explores the root causes of this gendered vulnerability, linking it to systemic gender inequality, poverty, and a lack of educational and economic opportunities for women. The paper critiques purely state-centric, law-enforcement approaches to trafficking, which often fail to protect the victims and can even lead to their re-victimization. The analysis concludes by advocating for a rights-based and victim-centered approach to combating trafficking, one that is grounded in the principles of human security and gender equality.

Human trafficking is a multi-billion dollar criminal industry and a modern form of slavery. This paper offers a powerful analytical framework for understanding this phenomenon by linking it to the concepts of human security and gender. The first part of the study frames trafficking as a fundamental failure of human security. It moves beyond the traditional state-centric view of security to focus on the security of the individual, arguing that trafficking represents the ultimate denial of "freedom from fear" and "freedom from want." The core of the article is its in-depth gender perspective. It presents data that shows the overwhelming majority of trafficking victims are women and girls, and it analyzes the specific forms of exploitation, such as forced prostitution and domestic servitude, to which they are subjected. The paper delves into the root causes, arguing that trafficking is not just a crime but is a deeply gendered phenomenon, fueled by the lower social and economic status of women in many societies, which makes them more vulnerable to the false promises of traffickers. In its final section, the paper critiques the traditional anti-trafficking paradigm, which has often focused on border control and criminal prosecution at the expense of protecting the rights of the victims. It advocates for a paradigm shift towards a human security approach, which would prioritize prevention (by addressing the root causes of vulnerability), protection (by providing comprehensive support services for survivors), and prosecution (with a focus on the traffickers, not the trafficked).