sex trafficking

Gary Haugen is cradling the padlocks in his thick hands. A former high school football player--bristly crew cut, broad shoulders squeezed into a dress shirt--Haugen has more the mien of a military man than a lawyer, although his image is in keeping with the muscular work of the organization he founded and heads. The president of the International Justice Mission, an evangelical Christian organization devoted to combating human rights abuses in the developing world, Haugen is musing over the mementos of IJM's work in India and Cambodia.

I reviewed Siddarth Kara's book. He is strong on structural issues but his book turns to salacious material and hero fantasies.

Pulitzer Prize winning authors Kristof and Wudunn put it all together in a new book, Half the Sky:Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide. .

In the global crisis of violence against women, there is a heated debate about the best way to approach the issues at the intersection of HIV/AIDS and human trafficking. Advocates of "harm elimination" push the abolishment of sexual slavery, trafficking, and prostitution. Those who believe in "harm reduction" are working to ameliorate the HIV/AIDS crisis in a pre-existing negative situation.

South Dakota readies again for abortion fight; Illinois AG Lisa Madigan strongly opposes HHS regulation; More calls for better sex education; Women voters will make or break election; WaPo features heart-wrenching story of former sex slave Somaly Mam.

Legislation and advocacy work have often blurred or denied any difference between trafficking and sex work. That has always made things worse rather than better for those involved.