I thought this was interesting enough to be worth quoting. From “Globalization and Violence Against Women,” by Lorraine Radford and Kaname Tsutsumi, in Women’s Studies International Forum (Jan 2004).
With globalization the boundaries between entrapment and slavery have become more blurred. The sale of women into sexual slavery or for marriage has been made easier by information technology and the shrinking of space and time associated with globalization. Human trafficking into prostitution and sexual slavery is big business, bringing profits in the region of $7 billion per year in 1998, and it is growing worldwide (Kelly & Regan, 2000, p. 16). It is also less risky than trafficking drugs as the penalties in most countries are lower. Kelly and Regan (2000) have used the concept of a “continuum of control” to refer to the degrees of force, coercion and trickery used to get women into the sex trade. The continuum of control ranges from imprisonment to abduction to slavery through to debt bondage, deception and threats, but women are also procured through friendship and strategies that use love (Brown, 2000). There is no doubt that domestic violence contributes to the trafficking of women into the sex trade. Trafficked women are not always unaware of the risks they may face. Hope of a better life may outweigh the risks. This fudging of the boundaries between coercion, love and no options makes it easier to blame women for “trapping themselves” in sexual slavery.
Thanks for posting this information, Amp.
Unfortunately, the Marriage Broker Regulation Act has been defeated. It was crafted, in part, to reduce the number of those disgusting overseas cattle-call “matchmaking parties.” Organizers of these functions are suspected of rounding up women for all over the countryside and that contributes to trafficking.
http://gopetition.com/msg.php?categoryid=&msgid=127258
The Marriage Broker Regulation Act has been reinstated and is now part of the VAWA!! Also, it is being promoted by Lifetime TV and is being discussed here:
http://boards.lifetimetv.com/WebX?14@23.8VdDbFELR6p.1@.ef23c73!skip=top
Oh, and here is a quote from Mira Sorvino, who I think is great. Did anyone see the miniseries?
“IMBRA is an essential tool in the fight against spousal abuse of foreign women in this country by way of marriage brokers. It provides these women with information vital to their safety, both before they enter into a marriage here and afterward if, once here, they find themselves victims of abuse. I urge Congress to pass this important legislation, which harms no one and may save many lives.”
… Mira Sorvino, spokesperson for Amnesty International’s Stop Violence Against Women campaign and star of Lifetime’s miniseries “Human Trafficking”
It was my understanding that George Bush made it illegal for American citizens to solicit prostitutes when visiting another country even if it was legal in that country.
If Americans are partaking in sexual tourism they are doing it illegally.