Human Trafficking: Results of a 5-Year Theory-Based Evaluation of Interventions to Prevent Trafficking of Women From South Asia

Zimmerman, Cathy; Mak, Joelle; Pocock, Nicola S.; Kiss, Lígia

doi:10.3389/fpubh.2021.645059

Cited by 13 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Interventions aiming to promote safer migration through awareness raising and empowerment training are unlikely to succeed in these contexts marked by deep power asymmetries between migrants and the agents of their migration (e.g. family members, intermediaries, officials, employers) [ 36 ]. Interventions to prevent trafficking need to reduce opportunities for these agents to rely in these power imbalances to exploit adolescent migrants.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Paper: violence, abuse and exploitation among trafficked women and girls: a mixed-methods study in Nigeria and Uganda

et al. 2022

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Background Africa is the global region where modern-slavery is most prevalent, especially among women and girls. Despite the severe health consequences of human trafficking, evidence on the risks and experiences of trafficked adolescents and young women is scarce for the region. This paper addresses this gap by exploring the intersections between violence, migration and exploitation among girls and young women identified as trafficking survivors in Nigeria and Uganda. Methods We conducted secondary analysis of the largest routine dataset on human trafficking survivors. We used descriptive statistics to report the experiences of female survivors younger than 25 years-old from Nigeria and Uganda. We also conducted 16 semi-structured interviews with adolescents identified as trafficked in both countries. We used thematic analysis to explore participants’ perceptions and experiences before, during and after the trafficking situation. Results Young female survivors of human trafficking in Nigeria and Uganda are exposed to a range of experiences of violence before migration, during transit and at destination. The qualitative data revealed that children and adolescents migrated to escape family poverty, violence and neglect. They had very low levels of education and most had their studies interrupted before migrating. Family members and close social contacts were the most common intermediaries for their migration. During transit, sexual violence and hunger were common, especially among Nigerians. Participants in both the quantitative and qualitative studies reported high levels of violence, deception, coercion, withheld wages and poor working conditions at destination. The adolescents interviewed in the qualitative study reported severe mental suffering, including suicide attempts. Only one reported the prosecution of perpetrators. Conclusions Our findings suggest that interventions to prevent or mitigate the negative impact of adverse childhood experiences can contribute to preventing the trafficking of adolescents in Nigeria and Uganda. These interventions include social protection mechanisms, universal access to education, social service referrals and education of parents and carers. Importantly, effective prevention also needs to address the systemic conditions that makes trafficking of female adolescents invisible, profitable and inconsequential for perpetrators.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Paper: violence, abuse and exploitation among trafficked women and girls: a mixed-methods study in Nigeria and Uganda

et al. 2022

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“…Considerable challenges remain with prevention efforts to reduce labor exploitation. Evaluation and sharing what is working well and not is vital to addressing this perplexing global health issue [ 112 , 116 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modern slavery and labor exploitation during the COVID-19 pandemic: a conceptual model

Washburn

Diener

Curtis

et al. 2022

Global Health Action

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Background Modern slavery is a complex global health problem that includes forced labor exploitation. An ecological systems perspective is needed to understand how contextual upstream and midstream factors contribute to labor exploitation, and how disruptive societal challenges, such as infectious disease pandemics, may exacerbate established pathways leading to exploitation. Accumulation of familial and societal risk factors likely heightens vulnerability; for instance, economic precarity for an individual interacts with poor livelihood options and lack of social welfare supports increasing their likelihood of accepting exploitative labor. However, few frameworks exist that account for the accumulation of and interdependence between risk factors at different levels and across contexts. Objective Using an ecological systems framework, we review literature on the pathways leading to labor exploitation, with the aim of developing a conceptual model grounded in existing research. Next, we discuss how pathways in this conceptual model are likely exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This conceptual model can guide future research to detect modifiable factors and strategic points of intervention. Methods A critical review of research articles and gray literature was performed with a primary focus on sub-Saharan Africa. The review utilized various scholarly databases to identify perspectives from multiple disciplines and to more fully account for complex processes linked to labor exploitation. Results A conceptual model of these pathways was developed that emphasizes established determinants and risk factors for labor exploitation in sub-Saharan Africa. The model highlights how the COVID-19 pandemic may have exacerbated these pathways. Conclusions Future studies should carefully examine the direct and indirect pathways, accumulation of and interactions between factors, and specific external and personal stressors. Interdisciplinary research on multilevel interventions is needed to guide solutions to prevent the persistent problem of labor exploitation.

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“…They caution against the recommendations on combatting trafficking generated by such opaque epistemic methodologies and call for situated micro-research on trafficked victims (Go zdziak and Graveline 2015). However, despite micro-level critical studies on trafficked victims (Esson 2020; Laurie and Richardson 2021;Molland 2014), the policy focus is on positivist approaches which attempt to (a) estimate the number of victims through extrapolation of "quick-tick" survey results (Bales 1999), (b) come up with new innovative indicators to measure trafficking (Cockbain and Kleemans 2019), and (c) offer new solutions to combat it (Zimmerman et al 2021). Hence, these epistemological issues in researching human trafficking mirror complex methodological debates in qualitative research (see Hitchings and Latham 2019).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“Who is not an agent here?”: The Collateral Damage of Anti‐Trafficking in Nepal

Bhagat

2022

Antipode

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In this paper, I explore how the diverse labour migration practices of people who challenge their state's restrictive policies produce a form of stigma that extends from people to the places where they reside. Drawing on the findings of Participatory Action Research (PAR) conducted in Nepal, I demonstrate how people residing in one such place attempt to undo stigma by adopting diverse practices amidst restrictive antitrafficking and migration policies. I reveal a novel practice of prospective labour migrants negotiating and receiving money from their choicest mobility facilitators to assist their unauthorised labour migration. This exchange of money potentially criminalises prospective labour migrants, their family members, unlicensed and licensed recruitment agents, community leaders, anti-traffickers, government officials, hotel owners, transport service providers, and airport immigration officials as traffickers. Underscoring the collateral damage of anti-trafficking in Nepal, I assert that the exchange of money to facilitate unauthorised migration expands the remit of criminalisation of citizens as "traffickers".

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Human Trafficking: Results of a 5-Year Theory-Based Evaluation of Interventions to Prevent Trafficking of Women From South Asia

Cited by 13 publications

References 27 publications

Paper: violence, abuse and exploitation among trafficked women and girls: a mixed-methods study in Nigeria and Uganda

Paper: violence, abuse and exploitation among trafficked women and girls: a mixed-methods study in Nigeria and Uganda

Modern slavery and labor exploitation during the COVID-19 pandemic: a conceptual model

“Who is not an agent here?”: The Collateral Damage of Anti‐Trafficking in Nepal

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