As bad as it gets: Well-being deprivation of sexually exploited trafficked women

Tommaso, Maria Laura Di; Shima, Isilda; Strøm, Steinar; Bettio, Francesca

doi:10.1016/j.ejpoleco.2008.11.002

Cited by 89 publications

(55 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…Social skills are part of any sex worker's job, but, arguably, quality and quantity may be higher for escorts. Indeed, Maria Laura Di Tommaso, Isilda Shima, Steinar Strøm, and Francesca Bettio (2009), analyzing the well-being of sexually exploited trafficked women, found that fees for sexual services were strongly correlated with women's level of education. Women with high levels of education were paid 44 percent more than women with low levels of education.…”

Section: Stigmamentioning

confidence: 99%

Sex Work and Trafficking: Moving beyond Dichotomies

2017

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This contribution examines how feminist economists have conceptualized sex work and trafficking through the lens of agency and stigma. The ongoing debate about legalization has focused on sex workers' agency and choice, and on the role of stigma in shaping the supply of and demand for sex work. Building on the analysis advanced by contributions to this special issue, this study contends that theoretical and policy debates about sex work are dominated by false dichotomies of agency and stigma. It argues that the relationship between stigma and agency operates along a continuum of contractual arrangements that underpins a high degree of segmentation in the industry. The higher the stigma, the lower tends to be the agency. Current policies toward sex work therefore need reconsideration -especially mounting support for criminalization of clients, which, by increasing stigma, is likely to detract from the agency and the well-being of sex workers, however unintentionally.

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Section: Stigmamentioning

confidence: 99%

Sex Work and Trafficking: Moving beyond Dichotomies

2017

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“…The literature widely points out that the vulnerable position of women in society is a powerful push factor of human trafficking outflows (Bettio & Nandi, 2010;Clawson & Layne, 2007;Danailova-Trainor & Belser, 2006;Di Tommaso, Shima, Strøm, & Bettio, 2009). Human trafficking is apparently gender-based violence, the majority of victims being females exploited in the sex industry (UNODC, 2006;IOM, 2012).…”

Section: Vulnerabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Modeling for Determinants of Human Trafficking: An Empirical Analysis

Cho

2015

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This study aims to identify robust push and pull factors of human trafficking. I test for the robustness of 70 push and 63 pull factors suggested in the literature. In doing so, I employ an extreme bound analysis, running more than two million regressions with all possible combinations of variables for up to 153 countries during the period of 1995-2010. My results show that crime prevalence robustly explains human trafficking both in destination and origin countries. Income level also has a robust impact, suggesting that the cause of human trafficking shares that of economic migration. Law enforcement matters more in origin countries than destination countries. Interestingly, a very low level of gender equality may have constraining effects on human trafficking outflow, possibly because gender discrimination limits female mobility that is necessary for the occurrence of human trafficking.

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“…However, the capability approach has been employed to explore questions of 'well-being deprivation of sexually exploited trafficked women' (Di Tommaso et al 2009) and has been discussed in relation to children in a range of settings including education and the street (Biggeri, Ballet and Comim 2011;Peleg 2014). The study reported here represents a significant development in the use of the capability approach as a framework for furthering understanding of children's involvement in prostitution, and how this can be understood as an issue of social justice beyond the logic of the children's rights perspective that equates sexual activity with children with sexual abuse.…”

Section: The Capability Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

Child Protection and Social Inequality: Understanding Child Prostitution in Malawi

Nkhoma¹,

Charnley²

2018

Preprint

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This article draws on empirical research seeking to develop more nuanced understandings of child prostitution, previously theorised on the basis of children's rights, feminist, and structure/agency debates, largely ignoring children's own understandings of their involvement in prostitution. Conducted in Malawi, one of the economically poorest countries in the world, the study goes to the heart of questions of inequality and child protection. With careful attention to ethical considerations, a participatory approach was used to enable 19 girls and young women, whose involvement in prostitution began in childhood, to convey their own experiences and understandings of involvement. Data were collected using a range of methods, chosen by participants to match their abilities and interests. Data analysis and interpretation were aided by reference to the capability approach focussing on questions of human rights and social justice for women and girls. Generating rare insights into participants' worlds, the research demonstrates how the persistence of deeply embedded cultural values in contexts of extreme poverty serves to sustain gender inequalities, constraining choices for girls and denying them opportunities to lead valued lives. The article ends by considering the theoretical and methodological implications of the study, policy and practice recommendations and opportunities for further research.

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As bad as it gets: Well-being deprivation of sexually exploited trafficked women

Cited by 89 publications

References 28 publications

Sex Work and Trafficking: Moving beyond Dichotomies

Sex Work and Trafficking: Moving beyond Dichotomies

Modeling for Determinants of Human Trafficking: An Empirical Analysis

Child Protection and Social Inequality: Understanding Child Prostitution in Malawi

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