The Line Between Sex Work And Sexual Exploitation
Sex exploitation is as big of an issue now than it has ever been. Women and children being exploited and sold all over the world just like any other commodity. Something to be used and abused. Human trafficking is a dark market fuelled by demand from all over the world. Human trafficking makes approximately $32 billion in profit every year.
Unfortunately, the demand for sexual slavery shows no sign of slowing down, in fact its only growing. Speaking to Alice Trudinger, a safe house volunteer serving women and children who are victims of sexual exploitation in Cebu really opened my eyes to just how horrifying the situation really is. When asked about the growing market Alice told me '...a big issue that is not widely enough known about is OSEC - the online exploitation of children. Due to the ever growing virtual world the slum areas now have access to the internet and children are being abused in their own homes by family members, and recorded live for perpetrators around the world for 'quick and easy money.' But the story gets worse, the growing demand now means 'children as young as 6 months old' are now victims.
I cant help but wonder if somewhere in the age of apparent sex positivity we're accidentally turning our eyes away from the dark side of the sex industry and what it can be. I wonder if we knew the truth would we make different choices?
As a woman, we all know we have to unlearn everything we learnt about sex growing up. When it goes to young women, we shame them for sexual encounters. Imply that if anything happened - he stole something from you and you should feel embarrassed. If anyone finds out he can celebrate. But you have to feel shame. This isn't the way it should be. We should teach safe sex and sex positivity. But this conversation just feels like ignoring the elephant in the room to me. If you knew about how that cam girl or how that prostitute might be a Syrian refugee or underage child in such vulnerable circumstances they have no choice to say no.
Sex positivity should be about women owning our bodies and surely part of that is owning the right to say no. We have to stop pretending that all aspects of the sex industry are our friends. They're not. Porn that puts it into the minds of the men around us that derogatory comments and acting sexually violent towards women is okay, is not our friend.
You would have to be blind to not see the link between the porn industry and the sexual exploitation of children. Everything is 'teen' this and 'underage' that. It's no surprise that for the last few years running 'Teen' has been the most popular porn category. We need become bold enough to say to the men around us this is not okay. Teens unable to legally consent should never be seen as sex objects.
The UN Office on Drugs and Crimes report even suggests that 'in some parts of the world, women trafficking women is the norm.' We cannot be okay with the way little girls are seen as sex objects to be owned by men and sold for money as if they aren't innocent little children who deserve so much more. Who deserve to be nurtured, loved and protected.
We need become actively conscious of the line between consensual sex work and sexual exploitation. Ben Zand documentary (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZqHUBkLv4E&feature=youtu.be) This shows the exploitation of refugee women turning to working in 'super-nightclubs' eventually being locked in the building overnight and turning to prostitution to survive. These women know they're being exploited but have no other choice, trapped and wanting to go home. These are the women we need to be helping.
As time goes on we cannot forget the exploitation and dark sides of the sex industry. I think we can all agree with Alice that 'they all need rescuing,' and we should be doing whatever we can to help.
Unfortunately, the demand for sexual slavery shows no sign of slowing down, in fact its only growing. Speaking to Alice Trudinger, a safe house volunteer serving women and children who are victims of sexual exploitation in Cebu really opened my eyes to just how horrifying the situation really is. When asked about the growing market Alice told me '...a big issue that is not widely enough known about is OSEC - the online exploitation of children. Due to the ever growing virtual world the slum areas now have access to the internet and children are being abused in their own homes by family members, and recorded live for perpetrators around the world for 'quick and easy money.' But the story gets worse, the growing demand now means 'children as young as 6 months old' are now victims.
I cant help but wonder if somewhere in the age of apparent sex positivity we're accidentally turning our eyes away from the dark side of the sex industry and what it can be. I wonder if we knew the truth would we make different choices?
As a woman, we all know we have to unlearn everything we learnt about sex growing up. When it goes to young women, we shame them for sexual encounters. Imply that if anything happened - he stole something from you and you should feel embarrassed. If anyone finds out he can celebrate. But you have to feel shame. This isn't the way it should be. We should teach safe sex and sex positivity. But this conversation just feels like ignoring the elephant in the room to me. If you knew about how that cam girl or how that prostitute might be a Syrian refugee or underage child in such vulnerable circumstances they have no choice to say no.
Sex positivity should be about women owning our bodies and surely part of that is owning the right to say no. We have to stop pretending that all aspects of the sex industry are our friends. They're not. Porn that puts it into the minds of the men around us that derogatory comments and acting sexually violent towards women is okay, is not our friend.
You would have to be blind to not see the link between the porn industry and the sexual exploitation of children. Everything is 'teen' this and 'underage' that. It's no surprise that for the last few years running 'Teen' has been the most popular porn category. We need become bold enough to say to the men around us this is not okay. Teens unable to legally consent should never be seen as sex objects.
The UN Office on Drugs and Crimes report even suggests that 'in some parts of the world, women trafficking women is the norm.' We cannot be okay with the way little girls are seen as sex objects to be owned by men and sold for money as if they aren't innocent little children who deserve so much more. Who deserve to be nurtured, loved and protected.
We need become actively conscious of the line between consensual sex work and sexual exploitation. Ben Zand documentary (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZqHUBkLv4E&feature=youtu.be) This shows the exploitation of refugee women turning to working in 'super-nightclubs' eventually being locked in the building overnight and turning to prostitution to survive. These women know they're being exploited but have no other choice, trapped and wanting to go home. These are the women we need to be helping.
As time goes on we cannot forget the exploitation and dark sides of the sex industry. I think we can all agree with Alice that 'they all need rescuing,' and we should be doing whatever we can to help.
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