Trafficking in women will be hard to curb

Enormous efforts should be made to tackle women trafficking, particularly in areas where gender imbalance results from human interference

Trafficking in women is a global phenomenon comparable to, and often intertwined with, the illicit trade in drugs and weapons. Although it is difficult to obtain statistics for individual countries, in some parts of the world, particularly in South and South-east Asia, trafficking of women and girls is widespread and, tragically, increasing.

One simple reason for this is gender imbalance. As The National reported yesterday, a shortage of brides for Chinese men is putting young women in neighbouring countries, including Vietnam and North Korea, at risk of being trafficked. As we reported, among them was a 16-year-old Vetnamese girl, Kiab, who was sold to a Chinese family by her own brother.

A report by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences mentioned gender imbalance among newborns as the most serious demographic problem for the country of 1.3 billion people. The reported birth ratio in China is 122 boys for every 100 girls, while the global average is about 105 to 100. The disparity is due to the country’s one-child policy and the fact that Chinese society has traditionally valued men over women for their ability to earn money. It is estimated that, by 2020, young males in China will outnumber females by more than 40 million. As a result, prostitution and trafficking in girls and young women has become rampant.

Meanwhile, India is grappling with what is being termed a "rape epidemic", where sexual assault and other violence against women is rife. Again, the problem has its origins in the gender ratio. As of 2011, there were 940 women for every 1,000 men, and the country had 37 million more men than women. As in China, it goes back to the practice of sex selection in favour of a male child. If the gender gap continues to widen, crimes against women will only get worse.

On the positive side, a growing awareness of the problem and public discussion about it is leading governments to pay closer attention to possible remedies. Public pressure in India has resulted in more arrests and harsher penalties for rapists, but more can be done. The authorities in both countries must act to counter the high prevalence of female foeticide which, according to the United Nations, is occurring at the rate of 7,000 a day in India alone.