The sad fact is that sex slavery is very much a reality in this world. Often it is young women who have been kidnapped and sold into bondage. Grown men leave their comfortable western homes and commit acts of atrocities in so-called third world countries that they would never attempt at home. Some of these men believe that because theses girls have a smile on their faces that they are happy about the exchange rape
But anyone inclined to take the girls’ smiles at face value should talk to Sina Vann, who was once one of those smiling girls.
Sina is Vietnamese but was kidnapped at the age of 13 and taken to Cambodia, where she was drugged. She said she woke up naked and bloody on a bed with a white man — she doesn’t know his nationality — who had purchased her virginity.
After that, she was locked on the upper floors of a nice hotel and offered to Western men and wealthy Cambodians. She said she was beaten ferociously to force her to smile and act seductive.
“My first phrase in Khmer,” the Cambodian language, “was, ‘I want to sleep with you,’ ” she said. “My first phrase in English was” — well, it’s unprintable.
These men see their vacation time as an opportunity commit rape. With the prevalence on reporting of sex slavery, they cannot be oblivious to the nature of the crime that they are committing. This means that they are knowingly raping women.
Feminists have said over and over again that we live in a rape culture. This is not something that is specific to western countries as patriarchy respects no boundaries. Wherever men and women cohabit men seek to assert their dominance by any means necessary. This is about power. These so called sexual voyeurs are using their money to claim a body solely to provide sexual pleasure. These women are little more than tools to these men and forgotten in less time that it will take to read this post.
As if their assaults are not criminal enough many of these women end up with STD's. Imagine after spending your teen years serving mens sexual proclivities dying from AIDS, or any number of untreated diseases. What needs to be acknowledged is that sex slavery equals a death sentence..It is a life of being raped repeatedly by nameless faceless men that ends in a death sentence. This is not some Shakespearean tragedy, this is the life of many women across the globe.
Western nations are often smug and self righteous in an effort to paint its citizens as somehow more evolved. We live in a society that supposedly respects things like individual autonomy, frowns upon violence, and respects women. These are the lies our leaders tell everyday while western citizens get on planes to commit these vicious crimes. We don't want to believe that this comes from us. Such savage behaviour is something we tell ourselves happens elsewhere, such evil acts are committed by the "others".
We don't want to tell ourselves about the illegal brothels in every major city that warehouse women for male sport. We would rather take the express trains back to the suburbs, ignoring the crimes that are happening within our midst. It's not our problem we tell our selves, those are not our women. We may shake our head when we read the occasional story in the newspaper, or frown when an expose shows up on the local news put in truth we consider this someone else's problem.
The daily rape of women cannot and should not be ignored. These men that we share our lives with that feel that their daily tourist trips to the dark side are dangerous criminals. Simply because their crimes are largely hidden from view does not mean that their actions are not scurrilous. We must find a way to join forces with the governments and women of other countries to bring an end to this. Child rape or sexual slavery is a criminal offense and the guilty need to pay. No ones life should be spent in misery and cut short because some feel the need to express power over another.
For more information visit
http://priceofsex.org/content/price-sex-women-speak
http://andreawendel.theworldrace.org/?filename=the-face-of-slavery
http://www.stopvaw.org/Trafficking_in_Women.html
http://www.innocenceatlanta.org/content/new-documentary-playground-tackles-child-sex-trade-america
4 comments:
Great post! Have you seen the documentary by Ruchira Gupta called "the selling of innocents"? It's a bit old, but quite powerful on the sex trade in India: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1beOGLfqxA
I have read a lot on this topic, and can't believe some scholars who are just brushing it off as 'women's empowerment'. Saying women "choose" to be involved in the sex trade. While it's true some women enter it out of "choice" its only because they have only that choice. How about giving women better choices instead of saying well they are choosing it and so it's all good??!?! I don't get it.
Remember when the Tsunami hit SE Asia? And a lot of Swedish "tourists" died? What were they doing there? I wonder! Those poor children - they condition them into this market, they make them addicts and objects. It's completely dishartening.
- But thanks for bringing it up sister!
Nida: I havent seen the documentary, but will definately watch it!
It disgusts me who men continue to blame women, assuming that they are willing participants. Not only are women sold into sex slavery but also young boys. They live in fear and are told that if they dont participate in sexual activities their family will be killed or they themselves will be killed. They are injected with drugs and soon become dependent on them. After years and years of sexual abuse, its no wonder they become like zombies and are unable to leave.
oops I meant ¨how¨ not
¨who¨...
Yallah please help all of the innocent women! Subhanallah it makes me sick to think of the men and women who are forced into being sex slaves. May Allah swt keep us from theses atrocities!!
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