Global Sex Trafficking (The Penguin Atlas of Women in the World 56-57)

I found this entry in The Penguin Atlas of Women in the World quite interesting especially with the illustration of the map and the way it was color coded. A lot of the things I read in this chapter of the atlas made me think a lot.

I thought it was interesting that a lot of the countries that traffic people out are part of what we categorize as the "Third world", while a lot of the countries that receive people are what we consider the "First world". My final presentation is about sex trafficking, but more specifically mail-order brides, and to read the quote about Western men wanting a more "traditional" companion kind of made me feel disgusted. Western ideals have become very global and it seems like everyone is catering to the Western world so much. The "First world" countries are appealing to mail-order brides because of the economic stability compared to their country. It puzzles me how people can still buy other people. I thought slavery was done with, but in the sex industry, it happens quite often.

It makes me sick to think of people taking advantage of others, especially when they are young. I wonder why men are almost always the ones who are the consumers in the global sex trade. Is it a biological urge or is it something else in the culture that pushes them to buy, buy, buy. It also makes me scared to think that people in my community could be consumers in the global sex trade industry. If they are going to foreign lands to exploit young children, what happens when they are back in our country? There can be pedophiles living in your own neighborhood without your knowledge. It is a scary thought and I wish there was a more effective way to cut down the global sex trade.