What keeps the prostitution and human trafficking industries alive?
http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=260957
"Without men - and it's occasionally women, but for the most part it's men - who seek out women and children and other men for sex acts, it wouldn't exist," Gilfillan said of the sex industry.
number of factors contribute to the marginalization of women, which creates a climate where prostitution can exist. "We live in a world that devalues women," she said. "And that's the foundation of this."
Gilfillan said there are three levels of demand, starting with the men who solicit prostitutes.
"A lot of the men I talk to in the community don't think there's anything wrong with prostitution," she said, adding that most draw the line at trafficking women and children from other countries for sex. "But they don't see anything wrong with paying for sex."
"Johns," or the men who pay for sex, often exhibit a few characteristics, Gilfillan said, including: the belief that prostitution is not wrong, doesn't hurt anyone and should be legal; high levels of narcissism; a belief that it can be a rewarding career for women; inadequacy with women; and a consistent use of violence when trying to obtain sex.
Gilfillan said the second aspect of demand that makes prostitution flourish is that it is quite profitable for those selling the sex - whether it's the prostitute, a pimp or a brothel owner.
The third aspect that Gilfillan touched on was cultural acceptance.
"We need to make clear that violence is gendered when it stems from the destructive notions of masculinity that involve emphasis on violence and control — that how much of a man you are depends on how tough you are and how much you have sex. The other side of that coin is destructive notions of femininity: good girls don’t complain, don’t get angry, but are dutifully to men. It’s through challenging these destructive notions that we can challenge gendered violence."(Modus dopens)
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