In the previous column, Kristof decided to purchase the freedom of two prostitutes in Cambodia. One girls’ freedom was set at $150, the others’ at $70. The first purchase went well, but when he got to the second the price had ballooned to $400. What will the girls’ face when they return to their villages? Will they be shunned? Because of their pasts as prostitutes, what will their future economic situation look like? In a patriarchial society where a woman’s well-being partly depends on having a husband, where many people live in poverty, will the girls return to prostitution where they can make money? Slavery is a seemingly black-and-white issue-when someone is freed why would they return? But we know that in abusive relationsal situations, because of the emotional impact of manipulation, along with other issues, it sometimes takes many attempts to get away before a person is truly free.
Bargaining for Freedom, by Nicholas Kristof
Posted: May 9, 2008 in UncategorizedTags: human trafficking, modern day slavery, prostitution, Southeast Asia
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