Abstract

Sex trafficking is a type of human trafficking that disproportionately affects girls and women. This article describes the scope of international sex trafficking, relying on global comparisons such as the U.S. Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons Report and empirical research with survivors in various regions. Although international sex trafficking is often attributed to poverty and underdevelopment alone, it is fostered by a more complex matrix of economic and cultural factors. I analyze trafficking through a feminist perspective, conceptualizing gender as a universal system of social classification that assigns greater power and status to men. Gender intersects with other systems of social dominance, such as caste, tribe, and ethnicity, to produce vulnerable populations of girls and women. To understand why trafficking happens, how to prevent it, and how to care for survivors, it is necessary to understand how the gender system works and how it intersects with other systems of domination/oppression in the particular locale or region of interest. Interventions developed without this understanding are likely to be ineffective or counterproductive. To illustrate the kind of background knowledge that is needed to reduce risk and aid survivors I describe my research on sex trafficking in South Asia. Based on this research, I offer suggestions for reducing risk in vulnerable populations and for aiding survivors. The global problem of sex trafficking can best be addressed by locally informed solutions grounded in feminist theory and practice. Psychology can make important contributions to ending this egregious form of violence against girls and women.