Migrant Women victims of sexual slavery, involuntary prostitution a nd non forced prostitution

Abstract

Women smuggling for prostitution is not a homogeneous phenomenon. This article, based on interviews with 136 Central American women transported by sex smuggling networks, distinguish four forms: 1) sex slavery, 2) involuntary prostitution and non-forced prostitution, that is subdivided in two forms: 3) with freedom to choose clients and work in other places, and 4) without those liberties), and aims to examine the prevalence of each of these forms in the countries of origin (Central America) and destination (Mexico and United States). We concluded that, when comparing the different countries, the situations of non-forced prostitution with freedom to choose clients and sex slavery occurred more in Mexico, and the situations of involuntary prostitution and non-forced prostitution without freedom to choose clients occurred more in the U.S. When comparing these situations within each country, there were more situations of involuntary prostitution in the United States and the Central American country of origin.