ext_239385 ([identity profile] karl-lembke.livejournal.com) wrote in [personal profile] pecunium 2007-07-06 09:53 pm (UTC)

I'm inclined to agree with Terry

It's one thing to want to "do something", but people need to pick a "something" that at least won't make things worse.

One possible problem I see is, what effect will the removal of some number of girls from the sex trade actually have? I can imagine it increasing the number of girls who are kidnapped into the sex trade as "replacements". The numbers of girls in the sex trade would stay the same, and a few rescued girls would (if all goes well) receive a splendid education. But the net effect might be better if you simply went to the parents and recruited girls before they were kidnapped.

If, on the other hand, enough girls were "rescued" to seriously deplete the availble population (very low probability, but let's go with it), you drive up the cost of acquiring new sex workers. It would be nice to think the "owners" would take better care of their girls, but I suspect they'd simply equip them with tighter chains, both real and metaphorical. Tighten security enough, and you increase the chances both would-be rescuer and rescued wind up being killed.

Also, if you drive up the cost of sex workers, it might become cheaper to simply offer the parents enough money to induce them to sell off any "excess" daughters. (In cultures which prize male children, and hold female children in rather less regard.) At this point, you can't return a girl to her family, because they'll simply forward her on to her "rightful owner".

In sum, unless this project is capable of affecting the underlying value systems of the girls' home cultures, it's not going to change anything.

My opinion, void where prohibited, not valid with any other offer.

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