8/13/2019 Trafficking Trafficing

1/3

Canadian Journal of Sociology Online May-June 2007

Kamala Kempadoo, ed.

Trafficking and Prostitution Reconsidered: New Perspectives on Migration, Sex

Work, and Human Rights.Paradigm Publishers, 2005, 256 pp.

$US 21.95 paper (1-59451-097-0), $US 68.00 hardcover (1-59451-096-2)

Trafficking and Prostitution Reconsidered provides a unique perspective on issues regardingmigration, sex work, and human rights with particular consideration given to a number of countriesin Asia. The books objective is to offer ideas and insights on trafficking that differ from bothcontemporary global political views and the mainstream media. It presents ways in which traffickingis currently conceptualized, characterized, defined, and dealt with by those who actively work withinthe field of human trafficking and prostitution. Moreover, this book critically assesses and examinesthe existing international policies on trafficking, while proposing alternatives for future research andpossible intervention strategies.

The book is divided into three sections. The first section addresses contemporary definitions and

conceptualizations of international anti-trafficking policies, and suggests several alternatives andpossibilities of advancement. The second section addresses key issues regarding the problem oftrafficking and prostitution. The authors here argue that while prostitution and trafficking are oftenthought of as synonymous, in many instances that is simply not the case. The third section presentsreports and analyses of anti-trafficking research, policy, and action projects in various Asiancountries, such as India and Bangladesh. The contributors of this section provoke us to thinkcarefully about the situations of young men and women in Asia in order to precisely define policies,intervention strategies, laws, and concepts that empower and liberate poor communities in theglobal South from the devastations of twenty-first century globalization (xxvii).

Thus, one of the goals of this book is to draw out some of these common misconceptions by

illustrating differences in both the types of exploitation and the potential reasons for trafficking. Thebook does an excellent job of showing that trafficking is not merely confined to prostitution or sexwork. The authors emphasize that there are several sites of exploitation, including inadequatehousing, shelter, security, and freedom of movement, particularly for women. They argue that underthe ruse of anti-trafficking interventions, prostitutes rights to work, migrate, receive health care,social benefits, and respect are being violated (xxii). While it is assumed that tighter border controlswould act as a means to protect the public from unsafe migratory practices, the authors argue thattighter border controls do not halt migratory flow instead irregular migration channels become theonly alternative, pushing prostitution and human trafficking further underground (54-55).

The real issues are not that prostitution causes trafficking and vice versa. Instead, the book guides usinto four key issues: First, womens and childrens safety and security are clearly at stake and yetoften not considered in the contemporary prostitution-trafficking debate. Second, there is a strongurge for better opportunities and higher standards of living for men, women and children in ThirdWorld countries. Kempadoo and her associates argue that this will help create more jobs formarginalized groups without being forced or coerced into prostitution. As one author states,trafficking raises questions in terms of global political and economic structures. The attribution oftrafficking to poverty fails to explain why some places, such as Thailand are both points ofdestination and points of origin for trafficking. Rather, it seems clear that relative poverty(inequality) is more relevant to trafficking (48). Third, proper development policies must beimplemented and put into place in order to ensure economic and financial stability within each

8/13/2019 Trafficking Trafficing

2/3

Canadian Journal of Sociology Online May-June 2007 Kempadoo, Trafficking & Prostitution Reconsidered- 2

country. This will assist in decreasing the migratory influx from neighbouring countries. Finally,women, like men, are entitled to freedom of movement and should be allowed to immigrate freelywithout being confused with those that are smuggled or forced into prostitution.

The book expresses the views of all men, women and children who are subject to trafficking orprostitution in Asia. Given that economic conditions in many Asian countries are unfavourable, and

governments in Third World countries tend to unequal distribution of rights and power, a largenumber of people do in fact fall victim to prostitution in hopes to achieve a better standard of livingand greater quality of life. All the authors acknowledge a serious problem with the trafficking andprostitution paradigm. As Aftab Ahmed asserts, the problem with the human trafficking paradigmin Bangladesh is that many of the elements and definitions for this social phenomenon are oftenlimited in their scope and do not adequately reflect the totality of the problem (199). For thoseworking within the human trafficking sector, it is apparent that there is a lack of standardizingconceptual clarity with regards to the human trafficking paradigm (200). This in turn makes itdifficult to work towards reducing the problem.

The point of the book is well taken. Its biggest shortcoming is that each chapter emphasizes the sameideas. There are however a few chapters that stand out. Jyoti Sangheras Unpacking the Trafficking

Discourse does an excellent job on assumptions that are present in the current trafficking debate,and is a good introduction to the rest of the book. Melissa Ditmores Trafficking in Lives is aterrific article on how both current and past ideologies shape trafficking policies. Although short,Kamala Kempadoos Sex Workers Rights Organizations and Anti-Trafficking Campaigns revealsdimensions of violence that sex workers are subjected to under the false pretence of anti-trafficking.Finally, Aftab Ahmeds Using a Dynamic, Interactive, and Participatory Process to Develop andRedefine the Human Trafficking Paradigm in Bangladesh insightfully illustrates how those whowork within the anti-trafficking sector have developed a comprehensive human traffickingparadigm, in order to help conceptualize the real problems that need to be addressed.

Drawing upon a rich database of experiences and facts, Kempadoo and her colleagues identify a

number of problematic discourses regarding economic conditions, migration, prostitution,trafficking, and current trafficking laws. They call on readers to move from first generationthinking to a better, more modern second generation thinking. According to Ahmed, firstgeneration thinking includes such ideas as: trafficking and migration are unrelated; women andchildren should be treated the same when addressing trafficking outcomes; trafficking should betreated separate from other developing issues; trafficking is predominately related to prostitution; themovement of people within a trafficking event is the major issue; trafficking is a specific event;etc. (207). Thus, second generation thinking begins by focussing on the various steps involvedin the trafficking process from when a person is recruited, to the movement of that person to thetrafficking harm/outcome and through the recovery and integration process (208). Ahmed assertsthat the main idea of this type of thinking is to avoid presenting trafficking as a single event but

to present it instead as a series of interrelated event along an extended continuum that spans a givenperiod of time (208).

Overall, Kempadoo and her colleagues do a comprehensive job of exposing a variety of myths andproblems within the context of sexual exploitation and capitalism. However, the book is stronger inexplaining the issues than it is in advancing solutions. The chapters that do comment on interventionstrategies and potential solutions to these global problems do not discuss their implementation.Undeniably, the problem of trafficking and prostitution is complex and cannot be solved in asimplistic manner. It is refreshing to know that Kempadoo and her colleagues have put so much

8/13/2019 Trafficking Trafficing

3/3

Canadian Journal of Sociology Online May-June 2007 Kempadoo, Trafficking & Prostitution Reconsidered- 3

effort into research regarding trafficking and prostitution; and while the conditions they describe areneither positive nor agreeable, they still find room to offer us hope for the future.

Taline KassabianUniversity of New BrunswickTmk_05@hotmail.com

http://www.cjsonline.ca/reviews/trafficking.htmlJune 2007 Canadian Journal of Sociology Online