Human Traficking

Reading Essay #3

Globalization and Human Trafficking

Human trafficking has been simply defined as the moving of a person from one place to another (domestic or internationally) against his/her will. This is usually for some sort of forced employment (prostitution, gardening, working in factories among others). In this case, the individual (s) are reduced to the status of a slave given that they are forced for work for very little or for nothing at all. The globalization of markets and labor forces has significantly contributed to this with those from poor countries being at a greater risk. With those from undeveloped nations hoping to find a better life in developed countries, traffickers are increasingly taking advantage of distance, cultural and linguistic differences to traffic vulnerable individuals and take advantage of their situation. Here, I will discuss positive and negative relationships between globalization and human trafficking (U.S. Department of State, 2007).

With globalization fostering interdependence between states for commerce, the comparative advantage of both goods and cheap labor among undeveloped nations continues to play a major role in the objectification and exploitation of human beings for economic ends. In the modern global village, the less developed countries have become more of workshops and factories for the multinational corporations in developed nations. This has resulted in exploitation and trafficking of desperate workers (Bales, 2002). Such tools as the internet and technology have also enhanced globalization by enabling better and more effective communication. However, it has also facilitated trafficking. Traffickers can and continue to use this tool for the purposes of luring women and desperate individuals under the guise of job advertisements and better opportunities in developed nations. This represents the negative relationship between globalization and...