| Sexual trafficking has exploded in post-soviet states since the dissolution of the USSR. This thesis examines what conditions are present in those states that allow, and even encourage, sexual trafficking to occur on such a large scale. To do this, the thesis studies the inner workings of sexual trafficking, as well as women's economic, political, and social status in post-soviet states. The cases of Ukraine and Poland are compared to determine what variables are most crucial to sustaining sexual trafficking. The thesis found that post-soviet sexual trafficking flourishes because there is a high demand for women in the global sex industry, a large number of young post-soviet women wishing to migrate from the region, and an established network of traffickers willing to exploit these women. The thesis concludes that the best option to reduce traffic is to use national strategies to raise the economic, political, and social status of women in post-soviet states. |
