Sex Trafficking Plagues UAE (VIDEO)

More than one million people, the majority of them women and children, are smuggled across international borders to work in near slavery every year, the US state department says.

Its 2009 Trafficking in Persons Report lists more than 170 countries which it claims are not doing enough to tackle the problem.

Al Jazeera met "Svetlana", a Ukrainian forced to work in the sex trade in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

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Comments

[kjwhite]

The saddest fact in all this is-- if there were no demand, there would be no human trafficking. BOTTOM LINE: A percentage of the male population on this planet WANT these women and CHILDREN available to them.
Rape and sexual abuse is as old as humanity, even covered in the oldest religious writings. Women have ALWAYS protested, but sadly, we protest alone.
You see, the men that DON'T do such things still turn a blind eye to those that DO. Until MEN start to stand up to OTHER MEN when they see innappropriate behavior, or see them commiting violence against women and kids, nothing is going to change. Women have cried NO for centuries. Until the MEN cry no with us, the evil men fear nothing. STAND UP when you see it's wrong.
The REAL MEN must take a stand and begin condeming/exposing other men that do these things. Seeing men pursuing young, even VERY young girls, is one of those 'embarrassing' truths that men tend to "look away" from, just like they do when they witness domestic violence. Men tend to feel it's "not their place" to step in and tell another man he is wrong.
Abusers count on it. Men need to stand up & condem such practices-- LOUD and CLEAR!

[LiberalForever]

The world is about nothing but money. The world will be finished off because of money. This article is about money, in the end.

[antitos]

Please correct the error in the article. The woman in the video is from Uzbekistan not from Ukraine but the article says otherwise. The information on the source site where corrected.
http://english.aljazeera.net//news/middleeast/2009/07/20097308334579616.html
I don't understand why despite earlier notification HuffPo does not want to correct the mistake, it is very strange. Maybe not enouth resources, this would be way better than plain disinterest in facts.

[chaya]

As long as women are property they will be used as slaves. I admire Mr. McQuaid for what he is doing, but he can't force these people to think of women as human beings with equal rights.

[lynnn]

Women are trafficked into this country as well.

[JamesBond2009]

No doubt we will have to endure more mindless dribble from the UAE sponsored anti-truth campaigners, in more impotent attempts at diverting the focus of the discussion. Oh well! I guess they’re just doing their jobs too…else they will actually have to face the inhumanity, repression and injustice themselves.

[JamesBond2009]

Good work, Al Jazeera. It certainly could not have been easy to get the interview, as this person now faces the backlash of government agencies in the UAE, not wanting the spotlight yet again on the negatives in their country.

“Staff at the Abu Dhabi Shelter for Women and Children say that although her story is common, there is too little awareness of the situation.­” Yes, that is because the government agencies like to keep it that way…Duh! …The UAE has its very own special way of victimizing the victim.

Corruption through all levels of society, money laundering, human trafficking, real estate development fraud, and the list goes on. Why do so many people buy the hype of the UAE and get tricked into going there? It must be due to the inadequate coverage of the real situation by the popular media….hav­e they been overpaid like everyone else to look the other way.

People like Johann Hari, are helping to expose these “Adult Disneyland’s” and should be commended.

In Dubai you don’t even have to go to bars to be confronted by women in "Svetlana’s" predicament. Take a stroll around “International City” and visit some of the restaurants & furniture stores.

As with all businesses in the UAE, there has to be a “Local” sponsor…do you really think this business is any different?

[SFA]

And who are using the services of these women,

Mostly western men ,brought up in democracy ,willing to pay for it.
Why western 85-90% population is expat in Dubai.

Remember this : "When the buying stops, so will the killing."

[Hdaryl01]

The buying won't stop. Legalize it. Regulate it. Tax it. It's not going away.

Furthermore, I don't accept your implication that men who buy it are "bad", or a cause of the problem. If there existed a legal, regulated and taxed option, they wouldn't be bad now would they. Are men "bad" and cause problems who patronize the 38 legal, regulated, and taxed brothels in Nevada?

Your prohibition is causing the problem. Not men's purchases of the services. Give men a legal, regulated, and taxed option and most if not all would prefer it to the illegal, unregulated (unsafe, drugs, diseases, underage, trafficked), untaxed option.

Prohibition protects no one.

[SFA]

It's more a failure of the society then the laws, laws can not do much i agree.But they have to be on the book.

Dubai is a Islamic country, and sex outside marriage is dealt very very seriously.­Let them implement the proper punishment(at present they are looking the other way) & then we will see who does it (Punishment :- Death,this will be for men(buying the services of ....))

So would you try u'r luck ??????Would any one try their luck.

Might be strong as seen from an American perspective(were there is no sexual morality), but who will do it with such a law on the book & being implemented

Those not married are not dealt that harshly, but can be punished

[Caliwoman]

Men who visit brothels are certainly loosers. Why don't they learn to have real relationships instead of power tripping by buying the use of a woman's body as if they were buying a steak. Men who visit brothels are socially awkward and inept or really power tripping f ups.

[fbr79]

Duh, anybody who has been to Dubai knows it is a place where poor imigrant man work as slaves and poor imigrant women are forced to work as prostitutes.

[SFA]

Slaves built America do you know????????

[Harrier]

It shows how cruel man can be. Horrible. Generally the police in other countries are involved also

[Klimb]

This is not news! ST has been happening for centuries in memoriam. You obviously have not been reading b/c it has been happening from slavery to present. Arab slave trade in North and East Africa and European slave trade in West Africa and recently, ST increase in Europe and Asia though still continues in Africa, too.

[SFA]

What about america

[antitos]

The woman in the video is from Uzbekistan not from Ukraine, like stated in the article. Please correct the error.

[Progressneeded]

There again the rich and governments benefit. No kidding? And this is our ally, the country we were touting as the shining example of capitalism in the Middle East!

[wolfgangmo]

Notice your phrasing.

"a shining example of 'capitalis­m.'" Yes it is.

But it is not a democracy. Of course the US supports it. Capitalism has NOTHING to do with democracy and respect for human rights. It has everything to do with making a profit and the rich getting what or who they want when they want it.

[Hdaryl01]

Next. This is anything but shocking. Repressed puritanical countries like the United States, Isreal, and many Arab countries have long been favored destinations for sex slave traffickers. Prostitution is illegal, underground, and completely unregulated in these countries. Legal supply is non-existent. Illegal supply can be easily be provided on a rotating basis by organized crime. Demand is the same or higher than in other countries where this service is legal, or decriminalized. Service costs tend to be higher in prohibition venues. Duh.

This is a perfect reason why prostitution should be legalized, regulated, and taxed. Unfortunately, the US and other repressed puritans want it outlawed globally. This approach has worked marvelously with drugs. It previously worked splendidly with Alcohol. But, alas, at the end of the day, the US likes to pursue unwinable wars in perpetuity from its favored arrogant position of moral superiority.

Are we really morally superior by putting willing women at risk by not affording them regulation, safe working environments, and law enforcement protection? Is it really the moral high ground to deny that it happens, treat both participants as criminals, and foster a system that allows for underaged, trafficked, raped, diseased, drug addicted participants, with no recourse? How righteous is this?

Regulate it-age and drug and disease and free will screening.

Tax it-generate income to pay for regulation and protection, and fund underage and trafficking enforcement.

Move on. Who cares what consenting adults choose to do with each other, for money, or not.

[Caliwoman]

I'm all for legalization but I still know men who buy sex are inept or power tripping loosers.

[Hdaryl01]

Interesting. Projecting much? Now, as a woman, how would you know this? Do you have any basis whatsoever upon which to base your judgment? Are you a current or former female prostitute? Are you speaking from personal obseveration and experience? Or, at the very least, do you have any friends who are female prostitutes? Have any of these friends related their personal observations and experiences to you? Have you ever been in a brothel? Do you know any men who purchase the services of prostitutes? Have you discussed the rationale and motivation to engage in such activity with them?

My guess is that the answer to all of the above questions is a resounding no. It is simply a knee jerk american female reaction to a profession that challenges your power. Pity.

Have you considered the possibility that it may be american women's perception of sex and power that may be the problem, not american men's? And, just exactly how real do you think a relationship can be with a female who derives her power from her genitals? One who wants to control the supply and cost and dispensation of sex? Not very.

Ironically, legal prostitution takes sex out of the relationship equation. Think about it. Sex is freely available 24/7/365. No need to get laid by any particular woman, including one's evening date. No need for the woman to feel pressure..­.........a­llows for the focus on the relationsh­ip......

[KIVPossum]

Ties right in to the article on prostitution in Ukraine. It is a major problem in the villages of Ukraine, Moldova, and to some extent Romania. Every village has had a few girls leave for promised nanny or waitressing jobs, only to find out they are captive, passports stolen, and have to be prostitutes to pay for their room and board.

My wife works with some of the repatriated girls. They have such a sad, listless look and demeanor.

If a girl wants to be a hooker, so be it - it's the world's oldest profession, serves a market, and puts some money in her purse. But when these countries turn their back to, and perhaps assist, the sex trafficers, it is an outrage.

[BioLiberty]

Hell, you don't have to leave the United States to see these kinds of work conditions. Just come down to New Orleans where legal immigrants are cheated out of day labor pay everyday. Where hotel workers are paid minimum wage and their right to organize and negotiate contracts is forbidden. They are in dept to the subcontractor for thousands of dollars before they even get here. So even their minimum wage is garnished to the point that they are slaves.

As for prostitution in UAE, no wounder Dick Cheney has a house their.

[kindGSL]

It is not prostitution when they are held captive, it is sexual slavery.

When they are held captive, the John is paying to sexually assault and rape a person held captive against their will.

When the police look the other way and allow it, it becomes a crime of state sanctioned rape, also known as torture.

[Hdaryl01]

Agreed. And perfect reasons to legalize, regulate, and tax prostitution. This makes it safer for all parties involved, ensures no underage, ensures no trafficking, ensures no slavery, ensures no diseases, ensures no drugs.

Otherwise, understand that prohibition causes the very problems you point out.

The vast majority of sex workers globally are not trafficked, nor are they forced. The solution is to provide a safe environment for willing legal aged, drug and disease free participants to engage in the activity that has been with us from the beginning of time.