Archival Resources

“The Human Rights Quagmire of “Human Trafficking” by James C. Hathaway (2008)
Although not a recent text, this paper articulates a topic that is currently receiving much attention. This is an insightful essay by eminent Canadian/American legal scholar in the field of international refugee law, Professor Hathway, regarding the relationship of the new anti-trafficking frameworks to the United Nation’s commitment to combat slavery.

Sex Worker Rights, Abolitionism, and the Possibilities for a Rights-based Approach to Trafficking by Jo Doezema (2004)
“What does a sex worker rights perspective say about the future of a rights-based approach to trafficking? Can a better appreciation of sex worker rights help defeat abolitionism in the global arena? Or does trafficking need to be abandoned as a
framework for positive change?”

Unpacking the Trafficking Discourse by Joyoti Sanghera (2005)
From the book “Trafficking and Prostitution Reconsidered: New Perspectives on Migration, Sex Work, and Human Rights,” edited by Kamala Kempadoo, Jyoti Sanghera, Bandana Pattanaik

Sex at the Margins: Migration, Labour Markets and the Rescue Industry by Laura María Agustín
This groundbreaking book sets out to explode several myths: that selling sex is completely different from any other kind of work; that migrants who sell sex are passive victims; and that the multitude of people out to save them are without self-interest. Laura Agustín makes a passionate case against these stereotypes, arguing that the label ‘trafficked’ does not accurately describe migrants’ lives and that the ‘rescue industry’ disempowers them. Based on extensive research amongst migrants who sell sex and social helpers, Sex at the Margins provides a radically different analysis. Frequently, says Agustín, migrants make rational choices to travel and work in the sex industry. Although they are treated like a marginalised group they form part of the dynamic global economy. Both powerful and controversial, this book is essential reading for all those who want to understand the increasingly important relationship between sex markets, migration and the desire for social justice.

Anti-Prostitution Advocate, Sigma Huda, UN Special Rapporteur on Trafficking Found Guilty in Corruption Case, Sentenced to 3 Years (August 28, 2024) Former Board member of Coalition Against Trafficking in Women convicted and sentenced in Bangladesh.