The photo is from the genre of “street photography” – a photo
which was taken on the street, without direction, arrangement or
editing.
To me, this photo is representing the fragility of women’s rights
around the world. There are extreme forces around the world,
acting in order to erode women’s rights and to push us back to dark
ages. A world in which women are perceived as sexual objects and
therefore it is allowed to exploit them, trade them or abuse their
bodies. These forces are not hesitating to enforce their authority on
women by threats and instilling fear.
Many women around the world and also in Israel, do not have
the option to be free and independent. Many women are exposed to
oppression and the worst abuse imaginable at any given moment.
Regretfully, women are still considered as sexual objects by some
parts of the public.
In [Women Trafficking] research I conducted recently, I found a
dark and hidden world in which criminal organizations use women
as means of getting rich. A world in which women are perceived
as sexual objects, therefore allowed for trafficking. This horrifying
reality enables us to turn normative women into victims of human
trafficking, most often without their consent.
Many women around the world become a part of the flourishing
sex industry against their will and live in slavery conditions without
basic human rights. It is frightening to think that in 2014 women (as
well as small girls and teens) are sold to traffickers and their lives
turn into living hell.
Those victims’ situation is especially bad comparing to other
kinds of exploitations, because of the gap between their culture and
the environment they are taken to. The victims usually have very low
accessibility to information and help, which facilitates the abusers
and acts as an incentive to exploit human beings this way.
The numbers are frightening and speak for themselves.
According to the data published by the United Nations Office on
Drugs and Crime, at any given moment a million human beings are
victims of trafficking. Eighty percent of them are defined as slaves
in the sex industry. Two out of three victims are women. Only one of
100 victims may be saved. Those who stand behind the trafficking
earn about $32 billion each year.
Many women around the world are being exploited, kidnapped
and sold by those who were meant to protect them and are
transported to women traffickers. On the other side of this coin,
there is a large number of men who use these services and thus
they motivate the sex industry and legitimize this set of events: if
there is demand – there will be supply.
Those who stand behind human trafficking earn millions of
dollars each year, a nice sum for sure - but no one’s life is worth
this price. But can we lay all the blame only on the criminals? Do
not forget that those who consume these services are the ones
who pay those astronomical sums to the criminal organizations and
therefore taking an active part in women trafficking and it is their
responsibility as well.
The traffickers and the consumers equally take an active part
in women trafficking so therefore, imposing equally liability on
the supplier and the consumer, and the same time raising world
awareness to the subject of women trafficking, will help to reduce
this disturbing phenomenon.
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