Table of ContentsIntroductionThe Influential Effects of Poverty on Sexual SlaveryGreed for Profit Influences and Motivates Sexual SlaveryPatriarchal Views within society make sexual slavery possibleConclusionIntroductionOften we are unaware of what goes on behind closed doors. When we think of human trafficking, we think of young women kidnapped from poor, occupied countries like India, China, and Russia, and forced to perform sex acts for their captor's profits. A $150 billion industry, human trafficking comes in many different forms (Human Rights First, 2017). Human trafficking is no longer just a problem in developing countries, but has become a widespread problem all over the world. It affects many types of people, but mainly the poor, the marginalized, young women and children. They are victims of forced labor trafficking, organ trafficking, sexual slavery and forced marriages. Although they are all very important, I believe that sexual slavery has the greatest impact and is currently the most damaging form of human trafficking. In a world where profit takes precedence over the common good of humans, I will argue that the trafficking of women for sexual slavery is driven by poverty, traffickers' greed for profit, and patriarchal control of society. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The Influential Effects of Poverty on Sexual Slavery The issue of human trafficking has become one of the most critical issues facing the world today. Countries around the world are seeing the devastating effects of human trafficking. The problem of human trafficking is rooted in many issues, but one of the most influential is poverty. Poverty causes countless problems for many people around the world, leading them to become victims of trafficking either voluntarily or forcibly. Countries experiencing poverty often do not have the financial resources necessary to provide adequate education to the population, particularly young girls. The lack of education in many countries severely limits the opportunities these girls have as they become young women. Children and women in third world countries face the most exploitation in the sex market (Poulin, 2013). The reason women are most exploited in human trafficking is because in many poverty-ridden third world countries, women do not have the same opportunities as men. These opportunities range from lack of access to nutrition, employment, education and health services that are essential to women's success. The result of lack of opportunity and education is that women often seek alternative means as a source of income that are not always legal or safe. Women also often don't know exactly what they're getting into due to lack of education and social services. Sex traffickers often make false promises to women about the amount of money they will earn and the living conditions they will be offered (Hamal Gurung, 2014). Many traffickers place women in very undesirable situations where their safety and well-being are compromised. Traffickers objectify and exploit the women who work for them economically, emotionally, and physically (Truong,2006). The result is often that women face the same economic disparities, if not more, than they did before they became victims of sex trafficking. As a result, women who enter the sex trade as a way to escape poverty are often trapped in a repetitive cycle of poverty and exploitation that many of them are unavoidable from, meaning they continue to being victims of trafficking. The greed for profit influences and motivates sexual slavery While poverty is arguably the primary cause of sexual slavery, the increasing greed of traffickers for profits in the form of money is an equally important cause of the sex slavery. Compared to many jobs where a worker must perform manual labor, provide a service, or write reports, a sex trafficker doesn't have to do any of that, but he or she still gets paid. In the sex industry, the woman is the one who does all the work while the trafficker is the one who reaps the majority of the financial profits. While human trafficking earns traffickers approximately $150 billion per year, sexual trafficking and exploitation earns traffickers approximately $99 billion (Human Rights First, 2017). The average woman who is a victim of sex trafficking earns $100,000 per year, but she receives almost none of this because most of it goes to her sex trafficker (Human Rights First, 2017). Many sex traffickers have more than one wife, which means that for them it is very profitable with very little work to be done themselves, as the trafficked woman does most of the work. Greed for wealth can be seen in drug cartels across the world. world, but more particularly in Central America. There has been an increase in the number of drug cartels actively participating in human trafficking. This is made possible by their abilities and resources acquired since they were active in drug trafficking. In Mexico in particular, drug cartels are taking advantage of the weak security of the southern border to smuggle not only drugs, but also vulnerable people to be used as sex slaves, forced laborers and child soldiers (Davila, 2016). This shows how an already wealthy group, such as a drug cartel, uses its resources and knowledge to increase its wealth by participating in other forms of trafficking. It is arguably easier for a drug cartel to get involved in human trafficking, particularly sex trafficking, in a country like Mexico where corruption is widespread. The extent of poverty and the population seeking a better life in the United States also play a significant role in human trafficking operations in Mexico. Many poor people cannot travel to the United States on their own because of little money, leading them to turn to a human trafficker. Because they are under contract with the trafficker, they are often sexually or labor exploited to pay their smuggler. Greed for wealth is a major cause of human trafficking, particularly sexual slavery. Patriarchal views within society make sexual slavery possible. While poverty and profiteering play a significant role in human trafficking, patriarchal control of society has a strong impact on how human trafficking can take place, including sexual slavery. Violence is a fundamental aspect of human trafficking. It is mainly men who use physical violence to sow fear and take control of young women involved in the sex industry..