Lecture Critique

Upon arriving in India, I heard a lot about human trafficking. Dr. Dionne Stephens, Rashmi P., and Fasila Begum presented the lecture on Sex Trafficking in India: Perceptions of Formal and informal support providers. Sex trafficking is a pressing issue in India. It affects mainly women and children. It involves the illegal trade of individuals for sexual exploitation through force, fraud, or coercion. The victims are often lured or abducted with promises of employment, marriage, or better living conditions, only to be subjected to sexual exploitation.  
The lecture provided by Dr. Dionne Stephens showed the study based on sex trafficking in India looks at both CSE(commercial sex trafficking) globally and the perceptions of NGOs (non-governmental Organizations) and Rickshaw drivers. Countries with many ports and high economic opportunities attract the most trafficked victims globally. An example of one of these countries is the United States having entry points from multiple states and is a wealthy country. During the lecture, we learned that sexual exploitation is the most common form of human trafficking at 79%. There are three forms humans get trafficked for; sexual exploitation, begging, and forced labor. Among the three conditions, sexual exploitation is seen the most, while begging is seen the least, mainly in North Africa. NGOs' perception is divided into four systems: Macrosystem, Exosystem, Mesosystem, and Microsystem. 
The Macrosystem is based on the public perception of trafficked women, blaming the victims and labeling it only as a women's issue. The primary reason for this perception is the lack of knowledge about ST (Sex Trafficking) among communities, and often communities turn down ST prevention training. The exosystem focused on the government not doing enough to prevent sex trafficking in the country and disregarding the issue. The mesosystem concentrated on Anti-human Trafficking Service Organization(AHTSO) and the survivors' challenges while seeking consistent care. The family was part of the microsystem, and it portrayed how the family was the core reason for sex trafficking. 

Rashmi P & Fasila Begum presented a study on the role of rickshaw drivers in anti-human trafficking efforts. During the presentation, I was surprised to learn how necessary they are in the sex work industry and how they could identify the women or the customers involved. 
I've previously taken a class about human trafficking. However, it was interesting to learn how women in India were portrayed by their own families if they were victims. It was unfortunate to realize that they were blamed instead of sheltered from the people hurting them. My experience in India was essential to learn how our views of human trafficking differ from India's view. Individuals from our society might not understand the differences between sex trafficking in the United States and India because women that are sex trafficked in India have a more challenging time leaving their situation to return home and be reunited with their families. 
The lecture helped me further understand the struggles of women that are sex trafficked. It was essential to comprehend how geo-location impacts human trafficking conditions, as it is an easy route to navigate in and out. This condition makes India becomes a target for human trafficking.