I have been studying the sex industry for nearly 25 years and been a feminist for even longer. Over this period I have seen many changes in the sex industry as well as how feminists and others talk about it. But for many Americans, feminists included, one point has remained steady: the belief that sexual […]
Trafficking
Human trafficking is a crime involving the capture, transport or harboring of people through coercion or force to exploit them for profit. This can include sex trafficking, but also includes forced labor. People of all genders and backgrounds can become victims of global trafficking, though women and girls of color are disproportionately targeted.
“Comfort Women” Won’t Let Japan’s Conservatives Rewrite History
The Asian Solidarity Conference, a meeting of international activists, recently announced that it has obtained over 500 documents that it claims directly implicate the Japanese government in the establishment of a system of sexual slavery during World War II. This revelation is the latest in a decades-long struggle to achieve authoritative historical acknowledgement of the […]
For Every Somaly Mam, Countless Others Tell the Truth
Everyone loves to build up a hero, and perhaps dismantling them just as much. By now many have heard of the scandal surrounding Cambodian humanitarian Somaly Mam and her self-named anti-sex-trafficking foundation. The story of degradation and then triumph that catapulted her to public attention has been found to have gaping holes in it after […]
We Heart: Fake Magazine Covers That Expose Real Inequality
What would happen if, instead of celebrities and supermodels, magazine covers showcased women and girls who are invisible to society? That was the motivation behind the Cover Stories campaign, launched by Catapult, a crowd-funding site that connects nonprofit women-oriented projects to potential donors and supporters (think of it as a feminist Kickstarter). In observation of […]
TRICKED: A Chat With The Filmmakers
A shocking 20.9 million people are victims of human trafficking around the world today—more than the populations of New York, Chicago, Miami, Houston and Los Angeles combined. In their new feature-length documentary TRICKED, filmmakers John-Keith Wasson and Jane Wells follow pimps, johns, sex-trafficking victims, parents and law enforcement agents in several U.S. cities, paying special […]
Myanmar Garment Factory Tries to Mend Human Trafficking
Gold-plated pagodas with monks in reddish brown robes glisten under the August sun as hawkers selling foreign investment guides now fill streets once closed by military roadblocks, a metaphor for the end of a dark era in this Southeast Asian country. Yet a closer look at Myanmar, formerly called Burma and ruled for half a […]
“Comfort Women” Still Fight for Justice
Surviving “comfort women” continue to see each other in monthly gatherings, sharing stories or belting out love songs with the videoke machine. Recently, they met at the office of Lila Pilipina, a survivors’ group in Quezon City. “We can no longer take back what happened to us but my hope is for future generations to […]
Extradition is Tantamount to Trafficking in the Grace Grande Case
On Friday, Oct. 19, 40-year-old Grace Grande surrendered to the Los Angeles Attorney General’s office; she faces extradition hearings, based on a request from the Philippine government to the U.S. State Department. The request alleges that Grande “stole” jewelry worth around $43,000 from a Nancy Manlangit, an employee of Philippine Congressman Patrick Antonio, with whom […]