2. Human trafficking is the trade of humans,most
commonly for the purpose of sexual
slavery,forced labour,or commercial sexual
exploitation for the trafficker or others. It is a
serious crime and a grave violation of human
rights
3. Traffickers look for people who are
vulnerable and therefore easier to exploit.
The major factors — on both a societal and
personal level — that cause or contribute to
people being vulnerable to trafficking
include:
4. i) Political Instability
ii) Poverty
iii) Racism and the Legacy of Colonialism
iv) Gender Inequality
v) Addictions
vi) Mental Health
5. Political Instability
War, civil unrest, political conflict,
violence, lawlessness, and natural
disasters create unstable conditions in
which people may live in constant fear
with limited options for survival or
earning a living. Children may be
separated from their families and left
without parents or guardians to protect
and advise them.
6. Poverty
Poverty creates despair. Traffickers
specifically target poor and marginalized
communities to offer vulnerable
individuals false opportunities to
improve their circumstances. Such
people are more likely to take greater
risks in order to provide for themselves
and their families. Indigenous
populations in many countries are often
marginalized, which may result in their
vulnerability to recruitment by
traffickers.
7. Racism and the
Legacy of
Colonialism
Racism and colonialism contributed to the
marginalization of people, particularly indigenous
populations. People who experience racism face
systemic barriers such as limited access to
education, employment, housing, and credit. These
continuous instances of discrimination place them
at a higher risk of being trafficked.
8. Gender Inequality
Gender inequality is the disparity
between opportunities available to
men and women based on gender. In
many cultures, women are seen as
less than men; are paid less for equal
work; have fewer rights; less access to
health, education, and property; are
expected to be submissive to men; and
are therefore vulnerable to
recruitment by traffickers.
9. Addictions
Traffickers use substance dependency
and addiction to keep control of the
trafficked person. Some traffickers
purposely supply drugs to vulnerable
people to break down their resistance
and coerce them into forced labour or
sex. As a trafficked person becomes
dependent on a particular substance,
the trafficker uses that vulnerability to
keep them in the cycle of abuse.
10. Mental health
People with mental health issues
face a variety of challenges
including isolation, diminished
capacity to consent or offer
informed consent, and limited
ability to assess risk and detect ill-
intentions. Traffickers are skilled
in detecting these vulnerabilities
and manipulating them to their
advantage.
