Anti-Trafficking Legislation and the Media Discourse on Prositution and Trafficking in Women: A Comparative Study of the United States and India

Abstract

I argue that slavery and human trafficking are a violation of not only human rights, but of civil rights and an understanding of the basic freedoms of movement and freedoms of body that are commonly understood in both the United States government and the government of India. Even though slavery and human trafficking are prevalent in both nations and more so in India, both countries have designed their governments, as well as have signed treaties and created governmental Acts to ensure such basic freedoms to their people. The governments of both India and the United States were designed and amended so that its citizens would be free from such violations of human rights. Unfortunately, this legislation has not proved to be entirely effective in either country. At the same time though, it appears that the citizens of neither country are entirely informed of the significance of trafficking in persons, and in this case trafficking in women for sexual exploitation, or its almost indiscernible relationship to prostitution and sex work.