In order to understand trafficking, it is necessary to examine the victims or objects of trafficking - the women, children and adolescents involved. While social indicators create the context for trafficking and sexual exploitation, one must consider how that finds expression in the individual.
Women (Adult/Adolescents)
Who are the women (adults and adolescents) recruited for
purposes of sexual exploitation and trafficking? What are they like?
Based on media reports analysis, trafficking for sexual purposes in
Brazil is predominantly made up of dark-skinned and Afro descendent
women and girls between the ages of 15 and 25. As previously noted,
these are among the poorest and most marginalized individuals in
Brazil.
Ten case studies conducted by PESTRAF reveal that two
opposite types of women are recruited. The first is a naive and humble
person. She is typically suffering financial difficulties and can be
easily deceived. The second type is a woman who feels that she is in
"control of the situation". She evaluates the risks involved and accepts
those risks in order to earn money. Generally, all of the women are
poorly educated and economically depressed.
They live in the outlying areas of urban centers, with no sanitation or transportation (and lacking
other social benefits of the community). They may live with a relative,
have children and work in low level positions.
These women work by providing housekeeping services
(maid, domestic servant, cook, maintenance) and commercial activities
(general services, waitress, supermarket clerk, store clerk, sales
representative, etc.). They hold low income jobs and usually their work
documents are not officially registered. Their rights are not guaranteed
and job turnover is high. They suffer from long working hours,
exhaustive routines and no possibility of career development.
As reported by one case study participant:
"I came from Juiz de Fora to Rio to work as a maid. After
that, I worked in a supermarket. Then I started selling
memberships to the Hotel Clube do Brasil. I worked in
retail and then I found out I had no inclination to work for a
boss. I used to get tired, stressed out and upset. I didn't like
any type of job, because none met my expectations and I
didn't like the conditions I was offered. Then, I would
never come back. I only have resentments!"("D" Statement case study)
These women are not only stigmatized by their social,
racial/ethnic and sexual conditions, forcing them into this type of
frustrating work environment, ironically, those characteristics make
them desirable as exotic and erotic commodities. Third world" women
in European countries are considered as erotic and enchanted objects
because of their cultural, racial and ethnic differences.
Adolescents and Children
Data on adolescents and, particularly, children is limited.
Media reports serve as one of the most important resource for studying
trafficking - but they suffer from some limitations. Most information
in the media about trafficked girls is derived from police sources,
almost always focusing on age, place of arrest, and the type of
exploitation they were subjected to.
Thus, the data may be distorted by the enforcement priorities of the police or social polices directed
towards victim protection. For example, the police may have a policy
of withholding information about children. Many reports involving
children fail to list their ages or to provide quantitative numbers when
mixed groups were involved, instead simply referring to trafficking in
women, adolescents and children.