In the poverty ridden country of Thailand, human trafficking is common to support the countries sex tourism. Young girls are sold, forced, or elect to join the prostitution trade. In Thailand it is a woman’s job once she reaches adulthood to support her parents and family. For many girls they may see the choice to join the sex trade as their only choice, others are forced by their parents, and some are even sold by their parents/relatives. While Thailand has laws in place to prevent prostitution and human trafficking, sex tourism is addressed differently. Most turn a blind eye to the sex trade, and it is difficult to enforce the laws that are already in place. “According to the Thai Government, there are no laws that specifically address sex tourism,” (humantrafficking). While there is no way to know how many women are subjected to sex slavery, it is estimated that 475,300 people enslaved in Thailand, that includes men, women, and children in forced labor, domestic servitude, or sex slavery. (Globalslavery) Prostitution in Thailand is an epidemic for women that is created by a societal imbalance and lack of options for women to gain meaningful employment.
Prostitutes on the “Walking Street” in Thailand
(Image from Travelculturemag.com)
(Image from Travelculturemag.com)
Outside looking in one might assume that for a woman to find herself a sex slave, she must have been kidnapped from her family and forced into it, as seen in so many Hollywood movies. Unfortunately, for a lot of women they are sold by their own families into the sex trade. “According to delegates at the 2001 Second World Congress Against Commercial Exploitation of Children, in the Northern Thai region of Mae Sai, it was estimated 70% of the 800 families living there have sold a daughter to a trafficker,” (travelculturemag). These women not only face the lives of being a sex slave, but also with the knowledge that their own families sent them into this life. Some are beaten into having sex with men. A lot of the girls didn’t know where they were really going because their parents lie about selling them.
According to Thai Blog news, they estimate there are 3 million prostitutes in Thailand and a third are children.
(Image from Thaiblognews.com)
(Image from Thaiblognews.com)
In Thailand the law only requires children to complete sixth grade. After the completion of sixth grade many of the teachers are then faced with the challenge of trying to talk to the families of the young girls to try to persuade them not to sell them into the sex trade, few listen. It is estimated there are 2 million prostitutes in Thailand, out of a 60 million that make up the population. (LA Times) While in many countries people celebrate the birth of a child, many families in Thailand celebrate the births of daughters because they know later they can sell them. “Leo G. M. Alting Von Geusau, a Dutch anthropologist who has studied Akha villagers for 17 years, said they started selling their daughters for much-needed cash to offset the loss of farmland and to finance the rise in heroin addiction,” (LA Times). For many women the life in the sex trade wasn’t their choice, as the family they were supposed to be able to trust betrayed that trust for their own gain. Some make the choice to boost their station in life, others to pay off debts, and some to fuel a drug addiction. They choose to trade their own daughters for their benefits in an act of selfishness.
(Image from UCDavis.com)
While many women in the sex trade industry didn’t have a choice on becoming a prostitute, many also did have a choice. For many young girls in a poverty riddled country, the option of prostitution looks bright as there is no education requirements, language requirements, and it is an easy job to get. It appears like a good way to support their family, especially if their family suffers in poverty. Thailand’s population is around 61.5 million, 10% live below the poverty line, 1.26% live on less than a dollar a day, 25.2% live on less than two dollars a day, it is estimated that there is 2.8 million prostitutes, and 1.4% are infected with HIV or AIDS. (projectthailand) With limited options for employment, the sex trade looks like an option for women as a means to survive and support their families. “….because of a lack of employment choices for women and livable wages, women’s role in the family, and a market made possible by the Thai government and other global networks, women are willingly entering sex work,” (umdgender). Women can be employed and support themselves, but they are also able to send money home to support their families. The role of a daughter, when able, to take care of her parents is expected in their culture. “Another ILO report from the late 1990s says sex workers sent home $300 million a year to rural areas, more than any government development project,” (umdgender). Many defend the practice, by the age of the practice, since it goes back to ancient times. “….even to the extent in which daughters enter into sex slavery as a lucrative means to fulfill this task,” (Sex slavery in Thailand). Not many women dream as young girls to grow up and become a prostitute, but without employment they cannot survive or care for their families. Why women make this choice is a lack of options for women, and with more options for women, many would go on to live and care for their families without subjecting themselves to physical and psychological danger.
(Image from nomadicmatt.com)
Thailand is an unbalanced society favoring the male gender and in such offers men more opportunities and very few to women. How the Thailand women are viewed helps the sex industry thrive. The practice of safe sex is usually refused by men who use prostitutes, as there is little regard for the safety of the prostitute or any lasting consequences from the encounter such as unwanted pregnancy and STDs. “….when their rights are ignored or minimized and they are treated as inferior to men is the negative effect on their physical health,” (Vejar). With people growing increasingly aware of the lack of opportunities in place for women, many organizations are trying to help by giving them more options for employment instead of staying in prostitution. One such organization is NightLight Foundation, an organization that helps women exposed to the sex trade industry. The organization goes to locations known for prostitutes to work or be there, they work on gaining their trust and then explain there is another way for them to earn money. “The NightLight Foundation has branches both in the US and Thailand with a jewelry business in Bangkok that offers employment….,” (Thailawforum). With organizations in place such as Nightlight it does give prostitutes options if they are lucky enough to be found by the different assisting organizations. But, the challenge doesn’t stop there.
(Image from gettyimages.com Christopher Pillitz)
Organizations like NightLight focus on the women already in prostitution and rescuing them from the harsh realities of the prostitution world. Yet, some women won’t leave the prostitution world, for a variety of reasons, some can’t make the same money in another form of employment as they can in prostitution and some are simply afraid to leave. Yet, while these organizations are doing well, they are still focusing on women already in prostitution. With a country that is over half agricultural, the opportunities for women to make a living without prostitution is difficult. Thailand also is a male oriented society not equalizing the genders, or the opportunities afforded to the genders. In many parts of the country, selling a daughter into the sex trade is a normalcy people have grown numb to the horror of the reality of what their choices are going to do to their daughters. Some prostitutes find their way out only to try to help the other prostitutes that have yet to make it out of the harsh world of prostitution.
Some families do well and can even afford to send their daughters abroad for a continuing education, but for many families in the poverty riddled country, they are poverty stricken and cannot offer their daughters the same opportunities. With Thailand laws only in place to a sixth grade education, many women will find themselves facing the world before they are ready. Without intervention with Thailand laws to enforce gender equalization the sex trade is likely to continue to flourish. There is simply not enough opportunities for all women to avoid the damaging employment choice of prostitution. The responsibility of caring for their family and lack of employment options can make many women feel as if prostitution is their only option.
Thailand and the United States of America differ on the view of prostitution. In Thailand it is overlooked and when the law is attempted to be enforced corruption leads to tip offs and the escape of the prostitution world from prosecution. In the United States, it is not overlooked and is regularly prosecuted with stings set up and law enforcement going under cover to help capture and prosecute those in the prostitution world. There is also many more resources set up to help assist in a gender equal society, even though arguably the overall goal has not been reached. The society in the United States would not accept the selling of young women/girls into prostitution. There are vast differences between the Thailand culture and the United States culture, which makes it almost incomprehensible.
Thailand’s sex trade violates the basic human rights every human is entitled to. They have a social and ethical responsibility to exhaust their resources and man power to protect their citizens and not turn a blind eye or allow corruption to prevent the apprehension and conviction for those who help violate or violate those human rights. With a focus on gender equalization, employment opportunities, continuing education requirements, and the prosecution for families who sell their daughters, sex slavery would diminish drastically. Unfortunately, Thailand seems to be taking a passive approach to the changes needed instead of demonstrating an urgency that is desperately needed. Without the much needed change, many women will continue to subject themselves to dangers, which can simply end their lives. If the country put the same meaningful emphasis on women as men, a societal balance would be evitable and with that a diminishment in the sex trade industry. Then women in Thailand would be allowed a meaningful life, that they as humans should have always been afforded.
Works Cited
http://www.humantrafficking.org/countries/thailand accessed 4/7/2015
http://www.globalslaveryindex.org/country/thailand/ accessed 4/2/2015
http://www.travelculturemag.com/thailands-sex-trade-industry/ accessed 4/3/2015
http://articles.latimes.com/1994-11-13/news/mn-62017_1_sixth-grade accessed 4/2/2015
http://dateline.ucdavis.edu/dl_detail.lasso?id=11174 accessed 4/9/2015
https://projectthailand.net/2010/05/14/poverty-in-thailand/ accessed 4/4/2015
https://umdgenderandglobalization.wordpress.com/2014/12/09/600/ accessed 4/8/2015
Vejar, Cynthia M., and Andrew S. Quach. "Sex Slavery In Thailand." Social Development Issues 35.2 (2013): 105-123. SocINDEX with Full Text. Web. 10 Apr. 2015
http://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/why-sex-tourism-in-thailand-is-not-as-black-and-white-as-you-think/ accessed 4/10/2015
http://www.thailawforum.com/blog/a-light-in-bangkok accessed 4/1/2015
http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/thailand-pattaya-tourists-embracing-high-res-stock-photography/200561231-001 accessed 4/10/2015
Some families do well and can even afford to send their daughters abroad for a continuing education, but for many families in the poverty riddled country, they are poverty stricken and cannot offer their daughters the same opportunities. With Thailand laws only in place to a sixth grade education, many women will find themselves facing the world before they are ready. Without intervention with Thailand laws to enforce gender equalization the sex trade is likely to continue to flourish. There is simply not enough opportunities for all women to avoid the damaging employment choice of prostitution. The responsibility of caring for their family and lack of employment options can make many women feel as if prostitution is their only option.
Thailand and the United States of America differ on the view of prostitution. In Thailand it is overlooked and when the law is attempted to be enforced corruption leads to tip offs and the escape of the prostitution world from prosecution. In the United States, it is not overlooked and is regularly prosecuted with stings set up and law enforcement going under cover to help capture and prosecute those in the prostitution world. There is also many more resources set up to help assist in a gender equal society, even though arguably the overall goal has not been reached. The society in the United States would not accept the selling of young women/girls into prostitution. There are vast differences between the Thailand culture and the United States culture, which makes it almost incomprehensible.
Thailand’s sex trade violates the basic human rights every human is entitled to. They have a social and ethical responsibility to exhaust their resources and man power to protect their citizens and not turn a blind eye or allow corruption to prevent the apprehension and conviction for those who help violate or violate those human rights. With a focus on gender equalization, employment opportunities, continuing education requirements, and the prosecution for families who sell their daughters, sex slavery would diminish drastically. Unfortunately, Thailand seems to be taking a passive approach to the changes needed instead of demonstrating an urgency that is desperately needed. Without the much needed change, many women will continue to subject themselves to dangers, which can simply end their lives. If the country put the same meaningful emphasis on women as men, a societal balance would be evitable and with that a diminishment in the sex trade industry. Then women in Thailand would be allowed a meaningful life, that they as humans should have always been afforded.
Works Cited
http://www.humantrafficking.org/countries/thailand accessed 4/7/2015
http://www.globalslaveryindex.org/country/thailand/ accessed 4/2/2015
http://www.travelculturemag.com/thailands-sex-trade-industry/ accessed 4/3/2015
http://articles.latimes.com/1994-11-13/news/mn-62017_1_sixth-grade accessed 4/2/2015
http://dateline.ucdavis.edu/dl_detail.lasso?id=11174 accessed 4/9/2015
https://projectthailand.net/2010/05/14/poverty-in-thailand/ accessed 4/4/2015
https://umdgenderandglobalization.wordpress.com/2014/12/09/600/ accessed 4/8/2015
Vejar, Cynthia M., and Andrew S. Quach. "Sex Slavery In Thailand." Social Development Issues 35.2 (2013): 105-123. SocINDEX with Full Text. Web. 10 Apr. 2015
http://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/why-sex-tourism-in-thailand-is-not-as-black-and-white-as-you-think/ accessed 4/10/2015
http://www.thailawforum.com/blog/a-light-in-bangkok accessed 4/1/2015
http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/thailand-pattaya-tourists-embracing-high-res-stock-photography/200561231-001 accessed 4/10/2015