Curls, ribbons, dresses, and happy endings where the prince comes to rescue the princess delight a little girl. Many parents view their darling daughters as princesses. A young girl’s mind is filled with dreams of one day being married in a beautiful white gown and swept off her feet. Childhood is filled with smiles, laughter, and love for daddy’s little princess. Most parents would do anything to protect their little girl. Rape, abuse, and bondage are unimaginable. Sadly, however, approximately one million girls work as prostitutes and sex slaves in the world today (Hansen 659). Sex trafficking of young girls is horrific. Many precious, young girls are held against their will and forced to do sexual acts that they should not even know exist. Sex slavery is an atrocious phenomenon is prevalent in the world.
Since humans have a right to freedom and no person deserves to be enslaved, regardless of the reason, human trafficking is an ethical issue that robs humans of freedom and independence. There are many different reasons why girls become sex slaves. Some families sell daughters into prostitution in order to pay a family debt. Other families are deceived into thinking that if they send their daughter with a man, she will have a better life in another country. An example of this is Maryam, a seventeen-year-old girl from Kazakhstan. Maryam was desperate for wok. She was offered a job as a shop assistant in Russia. Once she arrived in Russia, she realized that she had been tricked and was forced into prostitution. Other girls are deceived into thinking that they are going with a friend somewhere and end up being abducted. Nearly thirty-six percent of people trafficked are trafficked by a relative. However, the majority of trafficked people are trafficked by someone who is known, but not a relative, such as a boyfriend or family friend.
Sex slavery is happening in nearly every country, even the United States. “The United States is a source and destination country for thousands of men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of sexual and labor exploitation” (“Trafficking In Persons Report” 49). In the United States, many girls will become prostitutes in order to pay off debts that have been incurred. Also, in Asian communities in the United Stated, many girls have immigrated here, only to find that they do not have enough money to live on, thus causing them to turn to sex slavery (Flowers 88-89). In Botswana, Africa there is a myth that if a man who has AIDS has sex with a virgin girl, he can be cured from AIDS. Because of that myth, many girls are being raped and infected with AIDS. In Rwanda, soldiers will abduct girls to make them be their wives. They abuse the girls physically and sexually. One source says, “The fear of AIDS has driven customers to younger girls and boys who are regarded as more likely to be disease-free. The fate of such children is to work until their debt is deemed to be repaid by the brothel owner or, more likely, until they get AIDS” (Bryant 268). In Albania, young girls are frequently tricked into sex slavery. The girls are promised a good job, but are later abducted and forced into prostitution (Hansen 672). In Uganda, girls will trade sex for school tuition. In Nepal, many girls are compelled to become prostitutes because of economic circumstances and social inequality (Simkhada 236). In Thailand, the majority of prostitutes are children who have been sold by their parents. Thailand is a prime destination for pedophile sex tourism (Masci 277).
There are many causes of this crime against girls. One of the causes is the lack of worth that fathers see in their daughters. Girls are viewed as a possession many times in third world countries. Therefore, they are treated as such. A virgin daughter can be sold to pimps and brothels for a high price. This causes families to have fewer people to feed. Families will use the money they gained from the sale to pay off debt. Although, there are many different reasons that a family will sell its children, the majority of the reasons are directly connected to poverty. This is seen through how the most impoverished, chaotic areas of the world provide the most sex trade victims (Masci 287).
Since humans have a right to freedom and no person deserves to be enslaved, regardless of the reason, human trafficking is an ethical issue that robs humans of freedom and independence. There are many different reasons why girls become sex slaves. Some families sell daughters into prostitution in order to pay a family debt. Other families are deceived into thinking that if they send their daughter with a man, she will have a better life in another country. An example of this is Maryam, a seventeen-year-old girl from Kazakhstan. Maryam was desperate for wok. She was offered a job as a shop assistant in Russia. Once she arrived in Russia, she realized that she had been tricked and was forced into prostitution. Other girls are deceived into thinking that they are going with a friend somewhere and end up being abducted. Nearly thirty-six percent of people trafficked are trafficked by a relative. However, the majority of trafficked people are trafficked by someone who is known, but not a relative, such as a boyfriend or family friend.
Sex slavery is happening in nearly every country, even the United States. “The United States is a source and destination country for thousands of men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of sexual and labor exploitation” (“Trafficking In Persons Report” 49). In the United States, many girls will become prostitutes in order to pay off debts that have been incurred. Also, in Asian communities in the United Stated, many girls have immigrated here, only to find that they do not have enough money to live on, thus causing them to turn to sex slavery (Flowers 88-89). In Botswana, Africa there is a myth that if a man who has AIDS has sex with a virgin girl, he can be cured from AIDS. Because of that myth, many girls are being raped and infected with AIDS. In Rwanda, soldiers will abduct girls to make them be their wives. They abuse the girls physically and sexually. One source says, “The fear of AIDS has driven customers to younger girls and boys who are regarded as more likely to be disease-free. The fate of such children is to work until their debt is deemed to be repaid by the brothel owner or, more likely, until they get AIDS” (Bryant 268). In Albania, young girls are frequently tricked into sex slavery. The girls are promised a good job, but are later abducted and forced into prostitution (Hansen 672). In Uganda, girls will trade sex for school tuition. In Nepal, many girls are compelled to become prostitutes because of economic circumstances and social inequality (Simkhada 236). In Thailand, the majority of prostitutes are children who have been sold by their parents. Thailand is a prime destination for pedophile sex tourism (Masci 277).
There are many causes of this crime against girls. One of the causes is the lack of worth that fathers see in their daughters. Girls are viewed as a possession many times in third world countries. Therefore, they are treated as such. A virgin daughter can be sold to pimps and brothels for a high price. This causes families to have fewer people to feed. Families will use the money they gained from the sale to pay off debt. Although, there are many different reasons that a family will sell its children, the majority of the reasons are directly connected to poverty. This is seen through how the most impoverished, chaotic areas of the world provide the most sex trade victims (Masci 287).
Hansen, Brian. “Children in Crisis.” CQ Researcher 11.29 (Aug. 31, 2001): 657-88.
Web. 14 Feb. 2011.
Masci, David. “Human Trafficking and Slavery.” CQ Researcher 14.12 (Mar. 26, 2004):
273-96. Web. 15 Feb. 2011.
Simkhada, Padam. “Life Histories and Survival Strategies Amongst Sexually Trafficked
Girls in Nepal.” Children & Society 22 (2008): 235-48. Web. 15 Feb. 2011.
United States. Department of State. Trafficking In Persons Report. June 2007. Web. 18
Feb. 2011.
So, tell me, does this move your heart?
I know it moves the heart of God.
So what do we do?
I know it moves the heart of God.
So what do we do?
