An Introduction to Human Trafficking - United Nations Office on ...

AN INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN TRAFFICKING: VULNERABILITY, IMPACT AND ACTION
V. Practical implications for a vulnerability-based
programme for the prevention of trafficking
Conditions of vulnerability are rarely brought about by individual agency or choice. They
are, instead, the results of policies as well as social and cultural practices that place
individuals in circumstances where they feel that they have no choice but <strong>to</strong> submit <strong>to</strong> a
harmful alternative. It should also be evident that the conditions described above
contribute <strong>to</strong> an individual’s vulnerability <strong>to</strong> many forms of exploitation, abuse and hardship,
including human trafficking, although it is not possible <strong>to</strong> cite any single condition
as being the sole determinant of vulnerability <strong>to</strong> any one form of abuse. Study of victims
of human trafficking and domestic violence, as well as of those most vulnerable <strong>to</strong>
rampant epidemics, indicates that these individuals share many of the same characteristics
of vulnerability. It would appear <strong>to</strong> make fiscal as well as practical sense, therefore, <strong>to</strong>
examine prevention from a broader perspective.
How are such conditions of vulnerability <strong>to</strong> be used <strong>to</strong> identify individuals at risk of being
trafficked and make prevention of trafficking more effective? In re-examining existing
prevention policies on the basis of an understanding of conditions of vulnerability, a framework
must be developed that will include the following:
• Inclusion. The involvement of all relevant ac<strong>to</strong>rs (individuals, community groups,
NGOs and government agencies) in the development of prevention programmes
• Risk reduction. <strong>An</strong> assessment of the scope of the problem in a country, as well as
an assessment of fac<strong>to</strong>rs that make individuals vulnerable <strong>to</strong> exploitation leading <strong>to</strong>
trafficking and other forms of abuse, relevant <strong>to</strong> each specific context
• Empowerment. Improvement of the well-being of the individual, including empowerment
of the individual <strong>to</strong> seek options that are not potentially harmful or exploitative
The Grameen Bank: an example of prevention through vulnerability
reduction
Micro-enterprise development is frequently cited among prevention activities <strong>to</strong> address the
economic needs of possible victims of trafficking and of returning trafficked persons. Critics
of such programmes, however, have raised concerns that a “one-model-fits-all” approach <strong>to</strong>
helping trafficked persons is not always helpful and indeed, in some cases, can cause harm.
The most common criticisms directed <strong>to</strong>wards those programmes focusing on women
include:
(a)
Trafficked women need extensive physical and psychological rehabilitation before they
can begin <strong>to</strong> establish their own business. It is not reasonable <strong>to</strong> expect that a
person who has experienced severe trauma can immediately begin the complex
process of developing and implementing a business plan; 41
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