Trafficking in human beings: human rights and ... - unesdoc - Unesco

Studies have revealed how, throughout the world, cutbacks in state
services and subsidies meant a transfer of considerable costs to the private
sector, which costs are carried primarily by women. Referring to many
studies across the developing world the main mechanism of transmission
of burdens have been identifi ed as the rigidity of the gender division of
labour in the household according to which domestic provisioning is
women’s main responsibility. Pressure to diversify sources of household
income to meet basic needs further intensifi es the demand on women’s
time and evidence of any corresponding rise in the range and intensity of
men’s inputs to the household and its survival is mostly either insignifi cant
or totally absent. A spate of research on the grassroots impacts of structural
adjustment programmes in different parts of the world demonstrated
unequivocally that the burdens of debt crisis and neo-liberal reform were
being shouldered unequally by women and men. Scholars have noted
how this can lead to domestic confl ict and violence with serious health
consequences.
UNESCO: Poverty, Gender and Human Traffi cking in Sub-Saharan Africa:
Rethinking Best Practices in Migration Management, p. 42
In many societies, girls are less valued than boys and are expected to sacrifi ce their education
and assume domestic responsibilities such as taking care of their parents and siblings.
In addition, women who are marginalised economically, socially and politically, are
unable to enjoy many basic rights enjoyed by men. These realities lead to a feminisation
of poverty and a lack of choices which makes women more vulnerable to traffi ckers.
Also racial discrimination may lead to lack of opportunities which may force people
to seek opportunities elsewhere. 261 States are obliged to enact legislation to eradicate
discrimination and ensure the right of equal access to e.g. health facilities, education,
jobs, housing. 262 Discrimination is a problem both at the point of origin and destination.
Discrimination can make it diffi cult or impossible to obtain education and work and
thus make migration seem the only alternative and upon destination there may be a clear
hierarchy of employability, salaries and conditions based on race. 263
261 Obokata, T.: Traffi cking of Human Beings from a Human Rights Perspective – towards a holistic
approach. p. 123.
262 Ibid, p. 163.
263 Cameron, S and Newman, E.: Traffi cking in humans: Structural factors, p. 45.
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