Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking of Women and Girls in Mexico: An Analysis on Impact of Violence on Health Status

Abstract

Trafficking has a deep impact on the health and well-being of women and girls. The forms of violence, abuse, and risk that trafficked women and girls experience force them into a marginalized condition in terms of physical, mental, and sexual health. Thus, the main objective of this paper is to explore the kinds of violence faced by trafficked women and girls in Mexico City and in particular how they affect the physical and sexual health of these women. Sixty trafficked women and girls currently working as sex workers were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire and 28 in-depth interviews (20 trafficked women and girls, 5 madams, and 3 traffickers) conducted in Mexico City. I found that trafficked women are overwhelmingly young; little educated; unmarried; work in bars, massage parlors, and brothels; and live with a pimp. Interviewed trafficked women and girls suffer a wide range of physical and sexual violence, such as beaten with objects, sexual and verbal abuse, and cigarette burns, and are threatened with murder. Unwanted pregnancies and forced abortion are also frequent occurrences. Almost all women and girls are infected by sexually transmitted diseases.

Keywords:

• Trafficking of Women
• Forced Migration
• Physical and Sexual Violence
• Marginalization
• Unwanted Pregnancy
• Sexually Transmitted Diseases
• Mexico City

Acknowledgments

This research was funded by Ministry of Foreign Affairs-Mexico through doctoral fellowship during 2002–2006.

Notes

[1] 16 USD.