One of the ways in which traffickers use and exploit their victims is sexual exploitation. All gender adults and children can be victims. However, most victims of sex trafficking are female. Thus, this form of human trafficking includes a gender perspective and is recognized as a form of illegal discrimination against women.
Sexual exploitation is any non-consensual, abusive sexual act. This includes prostitution in its many forms – escorts, brothels, street prostitution and others. The prostitute in this case is a victim of human trafficking.
Generally, prostitution is not a choice freely made by women. Women in prostitution do not voluntarily engage in sexual acts with clients, but only do so out of financial necessity or similar reasons. This implies a lack of agency and autonomy. Therefore, prostitution itself causes psychological trauma for the prostituted persons that is comparable to the trauma experienced by rape victims, as well as other psychological consequences similar to those experienced by victims of torture.
example Many women enter prostitution as minors, when they are unable to give informed consent to their exploitation. Others live in poverty and see no other viable choice than to be exploited through prostitution.