Human trafficking and its gender dimension

1 BriefingFebruary 2016 EPRS | European Parliamentary Research ServiceAuthor:Sofija Voronova and Anja RadjenovicMembers' Research ServiceENPE dimensionof humantraffickingSUMMARYH uman trafficking is a serious crime andaviolation of Human rights. It is on the risedue to increasingmobility,the development of new technologiesandthegenerallylow risksand high on the prevalence of this crime show that themajority of its victims are women and girls. Sexual exploitation is by far the firstpurpose of forced into commercialsexual serviceswhilemany are also victims of domestic are several factors which contribute to traffickinginwomen. Theirvulnerability,especially as a consequence of violence,andthedemand for theirsexualservicesaretwo leading factors whichhavereceived increased attentionin recent requires addressing MemberStates have adopteddifferent approachesto this phenomenon,ranging fromcriminalisation ofall activitiesrelated to prostitutionto operateviavariouschannels of recruitment which involve coercion, forceor deception.

2 They usually exploitthepoor economic situation of women searchingforabetter life new technologies play an important role,as doesmigrant EU has adoptedkeyinstruments to tackle trafficking in Human beings. They arebased onavictim-centred approach and recognise that support and protection ofvictims,as well asprevention should be Parliamentplays an important part in shaping EU policies in the this briefing: Understanding the phenomenon The thorny path of Human trafficking :focuson women International andEU efforts to combattrafficking Main referencesEPRST hegender dimensionof Human traffickingMembers' Research ServicePage2of10 trafficking inhumanbeings: definition(a)' trafficking in persons'shall mean the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring orreceipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, ofabduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse ofpower or of a position of vulnerability or ofthe giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person havingcontrol over another person, for the purpose of exploitation.

3 Exploitation shall include, at aminimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation,forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal oforgans;(b) The consent of a victim of trafficking in persons to the intended exploitation set forth insubparagraph (a) of this article shall be irrelevant where any of the means set forth insubparagraph (a) have been : Article 3 of theProtocol to Prevent, Suppress andPunish trafficking in Persons,Especially Women and Children,supplementing the Convention against TransnationalOrganizedCrime,United Nations, the phenomenonTraffickinginhumanbeings(alsor eferredtoasTHB,humantrafficking,ortraffi ckinginpersons)isaseriouscrimeandaflagra ntviolationofhumanrights, ,humantraffickinghasacquiredanewdimensio ninthecontextofglobalisationandhasbeenfa cilitatedbyincreasedmobility,especiallyi nEurope, ,throughfearorshame,tendnottodeclarethem selvestotheauthorities, ,recentyearshaveseenprogressatbothintern ationalandEUlevel,andextensivereportshav ebeenpublishedbytheUnitedNationsOfficeon DrugsandCrime(UNODC) ,thedatapresentedbelowarebasedonregister edoridentifiedvictims, at global and European levelAccording to 2012 International Labour Office(ILO)estimates, almost 21million personsglobally, women and girls, are trapped in what some call 'modern-day slavery'.

4 1 TheUNODC2014reportidentified victims with152 different citizen-ships,and livingin 124countriesacrosstheworld,thusrevealing the truly globalnature of THB. At the same time, it is also alocalproblem, as many victims aretrafficked inside their own country or to ,70% ofthevictims of trafficking are women and girls(49% and 21% respectively). Although themajority of female victims are adult, thereis a worrying trendoftraffickingingirls,which has increased from 10% in 2004 toFigure 1-Global trends in the share of women and girlsamong the total number of victims, 2004-201174%67%59%49%10%13%17%21%0%10%20 %30%40%50%60%70%80%2004200620092011 WomenGirlsData source:Globalreport on trafficking in persons,UNODC, dimensionof Human traffickingMembers' Research ServicePage3of1021% in data collected forthe EU-28 and several otherEuropean countriesbyEurostatshowa similar picture. The proportion of 'registered or presumed' female victims in the EU iseven higher: around 80% for the period 2010-2012(67% women and 13% girls).

5 Traffickingrouteswithinand tothe EUHuman trafficking in theEUhappens largely within its borders. According to Eurostat,65% of victims are EU citizens. trafficking flows,facilitated by the absence of bordercontrols within theSchengenarea,are mostly fromeastern andcentral Europe towestern Europe. Romaniaand Bulgaria are the two foremost countries of origin ofvictims, both in terms of absolute numbers and prevalence rate (as a proportion ofeachcountry'spopulation). Western Europe is also the destination for Human traffickingfrom Asia, Africa and SouthAmerica. trafficking from Nigeria, predominantly of womenand young girlsfor sexual exploitation, is one of the most persistent flows to Soviet countries such as Russia, UkraineandMoldova, are still among the maincountries of origin, even if this flow seems to havereducedin thepast ten forms of exploitationSexual exploitation is the main purpose of Human trafficking , both , 53% of victims in the world were trafficked for sexualexploitation (97%of whomwere female) and 40% for forced labour (65%of whomweremale).

6 In the same period,theEUregistered even higherfiguresforsexual exploitation(seeFigure2), representing69% of victims (95% ofwhomwerewomen and girls). Labourexploitation came second (19%of victims) andaffectedmainlymen (71%), but women andgirlswerealso trafficked forforced labour (27%).Moreover,women and girls representedalarge proportion of victimstrafficked for purposes otherthan forced labourorsexualexploitation, such as forcedbegging, selling of children,forced marriage,etc.(73%globally and 52% intheEU).Sexual exploitationTrafficking for sexualexploitationcan takeondifferent forms: more visibleones,as in the case ofstreetprostitution,but mostlyclandestine ones,operating inbrothels or private venues, such as massageFigure 2-Victims by gender and type of exploitationin the EU, 2010-201295%27%52%4%71%38%1%4%10%0%10%20 %30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%SexualLabourOt herFemaleMaleUnknownData source: trafficking in Human beings,EUROSTAT report, 3-Victims of sexual exploitation by genderin the EU,2010-201295%4%1%FemaleMaleUnknownData source: trafficking in Human beings,EUROSTAT report, dimensionof Human traffickingMembers' Research ServicePage4of10parloursandstrip clubs can also be used for trafficking and sexual exploitation.

7 Violenceisa common toolusedforcontrollingvictimsand theyare sometimesraped by theirtraffickers,anddrugged to prevent them from escaping. Even when victims know thatthey arebeingrecruitedforprovidingsexual services, they can still end up in exploitivesituations and suffer deception, coercion or labourIn 2012,theILO estimated that people worldwide were victims of theEU, this figure would be around 900000, with only 1% of victimsbeing identified (9500 in 2010). Even ifit is primarilymenwho do forced labour in theagricultural, construction or manufacturing sectors, women and girls still represent asignificant proportion ofthevictims: 35% worldwide and 27% in the EU for the and girls are most often trafficked forthepurpose of domesticservitude, which is extremely difficult to detect, asdomestic work hidden in its nature isoften part oftheinformal economy. These victims are forced to work very longhours foranextremely low or no salary,whilelivinginunacceptable conditions andsometimessufferingpsychological and physical violence, humiliation, abuse andpunishment.

8 Migrant women and girls are particularly at order to protect domestic workers, including migrants, effectively, in 2011 the ILOadoptedtheDomestic Workers Convention, which entered into force in September thorny path of Human trafficking : focuson womenBoth UNODC and Eurostat data tend to demonstrate that Human trafficking has a cleargender dimension . Women and men are not trafficked in the same way or for the samepurpose,and their experience of trafficking can be very different. Arguably, the wholetrafficking cycle is highly gendered, from the root causes that make women and girlsmore vulnerable, through to policy approaches and measures aimed at combating thoughtheexperiences ofthe men beingtrafficked, especially as victims of labourexploitation,are attractinggrowing interest among various stakeholders,6trafficking inwomen remains high on the agenda as a complex and still increasing phenomenon,despite global efforts to tackle , what makeswomen so vulnerable to Human trafficking ?

9 How are they trapped inexploitative situations? What are the means used by traffickers to recruit and controlthem?Root causesFactors that contribute to traffickinginhuman beingscan be categorised as'push'and'pull' factors include, among others, poverty, unemployment, lack of socialsecurity, gender inequalities, conflicts and factors consist of promises ofsteady employment, better living conditions and demand for cheap unskilled labour aswell as for sexual victimisation and exploitation are the result of acombination of these against women and demand for sexual servicesas causes of traffickinginwomen have received increased attentionin recent years bothinternationallyandin violenceDomestic violence has been defined as a 'pattern of abusive and threatening behaviourthat may include physical, emotional, economic and sexual violence, as well asintimidation, isolation and coercion'.8It is mostly women and children who experienceEPRST hegender dimensionof Human traffickingMembers' Research ServicePage5of10it.

10 According to a study supportedbythe European Commission Daphne Programme,960%of 207femalevictims of traffickinginterviewedreported they had experiencedsome form of violence prior to being increasesa woman'svulnerability to trafficking by erodingherself-esteem and alsoincreasesherrisk of being trafficked asshetriestoleave herabusive for servicesTrafficking for sexual exploitation obeysthe principles ofsupply and exploitation doesnotexistjustbecause its victims are vulnerable but because thereis a demand for sexual servicesfrom whichtraffickerscan sexual services in Europe areconsumed almost exclusively by menandmainlyprovided by to a 2010 UNODC report,around1million women in Europe could be engaging intransactional sex. Thereport also estimatesthat one inseven women engaged in commercial sexisa traffickingvictim, which means a total of 140000victimsand amarketworth annually. Other reportssuggestthat the proportion oftraffickedwomen inprostitution is much to theUNSpecial Rapporteuron the Human rights aspects of thevictims of trafficking in persons'[f]or the most partprostitution as it is actually practised in the world doessatisfy the elements of trafficking .