A few weeks ago, I went to the presentation and movie night about human trafficking by the gender studies class. Before that day, I had heard of human trafficking and knew a bit about what it is, but I definitely left with a lot more knowledge.
I really didn't understand how people got into the human trafficking industry. The movie shown, Very Young Girls, was very eye-opening. I learned a lot about how people get into the commercial sex industry.
Before seeing the film, I perceived it to be a choice. It seemed a lot more glamorous than I now know it is. Our society tends to glamorize the sex industry, though it is in fact very dangerous for many of the people involved. During the Uni Period talk, we watched the music video for the song P.I.M.P. by 50 Cent, which is a good example of the public perception of the commercial sex industry.
After watching the video, I knew that many women don't choose to enter the commercial sex industry, but rather are forced into it. Girls can be picked up off the streets by pimps and forced to work for them. Others may be tricked and conned by a pimp to enter the industry.
Once you get in, it's hard to get out. Pimps typically don't just let girls leave. Even if a girl does manage to run away, transitioning back into society can be difficult. There is a very heavy stereotype against prostitutes in our society. A lot of this comes from the fact that most people really don't understand how the industry works. People look down on girls who have left the sex industry just because they once were a part of it.
After seeing the film and going to the discussion, I made a decision to stop using the words "pimp," "prostitute," "hooker," etc. in normal conversation. I realized that the use of these words is another way to show how our society views the sex industry. It's not doing much, but I think that not using these words is one way of showing that I do not support the commercial sex industry.
