Trafficking of Women: Norms, Realities, and Challenges

This paper focuses on the transnational trafficking of women. The UN recognises the gravity of the situation but also the fact that estimating the severity of the problem is a challenge since trafficking is a hidden crime that is very rarely reported. The article argues that the two major causes of trafficking are poverty and globalization. It looks at the development of international law through a variety of conventions and protocols, such as Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others, Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, and the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children. The article notes that many governments have adopted an anti-trafficking approach that is accompanied by strong anti-immigration policies which are often at odds with the protection of human rights.