Abstract

The Industrialization of Sex:

The Role of Globalization in Human Trafficking

Kara R. Davies

The trafficking in humans for the purpose of sexual exploitation is one of the fastest growing areas of international criminal activity and one that is of increasing concern to the United States and the international community. Each year, an estimated 600,000 to 800,000 men, women, and children are trafficked across international borders and held captive in situations of sexual slavery; approximately 80 percent are women and girls, and up to 50 percent are minors. The sexual exploitation of women and children has existed since the beginning of time and across many different cultures, yet the upsurge and the “industrialization” of the trade is new. My honors thesis, titled The Industrialization of Sex: The Role of Globalization in Human Trafficking, asks what role does globalization play in this surge? Does human trafficking lend itself to globalization? And what role do new technologies play in the phenomenon? Drawing from international political economy and globalization theory this paper suggests that globalization, not only supports, but also heightens the incidence of human trafficking, increasing the number of women and children as commodities to be bought and sold.

This paper focuses on the revolutions in communications and technology that accompany globalization and how they have accelerated and deepened the marketing of women for the purposes of sexual exploitation. In addition, governmental and non-governmental responses to human trafficking are assessed and suggestions to further combat the problem are made.