Paola Monzini

Paola Monzini is an Italian criminologist and sociologist. She has worked as a researcher for the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute. Monzini’s primary research interests are the social and political aspects of transnational organized crime, illegal markets and migration issues.

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  • Sex Traffic

    Prostitution, Crime and Exploitation

    By Paola Monzini     January 2005

    The trafficking of women and girls for prostitution is big business. This book focuses on the experiences of migrant women and girls who have very little choice or control over their lives. In the context of neo-liberal globalization, they are the new ‘slaves’ of the contemporary era. The annual worth of this global industry is now estimated to be approximately $7 billion, making it particularly attractive to organized crime networks. Women are forced to compete for work in conditions of extreme sexual exploitation, often being exposed to risky sexual practices, high levels of HIV, violence and murder. The laws of the marketplace are applied with extreme brutality. This book examines the techniques of recruitment, methods of transportation and forms of exploitation abroad, and focuses on women’s own experiences of migration. It explains the mechanisms of supply and demand and assesses attempts at controlling trafficking and strategies for resistance and change.