Sex and Labor: A Demand and Supply Issue

Many of my readers know that I write  for Making Noise, Inc., a non-profit  in Washington DC focused on advocating on issues of injustice in the continent of Africa. Making Noise uses the arts, media, drama and blogs to move its mission forward. The post below was written by yours truly and published today. Many of you who read my blogs also know that issues of injustice in all form, but specifically human trafficking and orphan/adoption/foster care, make me cringe. This post is about the roles demand and supply play in advancing human trafficking.

[Photo Credit]

My favorite class in high school was Literature, but I had to go to economics class. I thought I had escaped required classes when I left for college, but Microeconomics was also a core requirement for all incoming freshmen.  The only thing I had to remember, because it was pounded in day after day, were the laws of demand and supply. I sat through several classes wondering how each one furthered my desire to write, change the world and get wealthy while at it. A few days ago, a light bulb that had probably turned on in many other minds, save mine, was turned on. I realized that these laws play an underlying role in the business of human trafficking. The law of demand states that if all other factors remain equal, the higher the price of a good, the less people will demand that good. Human trading is a deeply emotional transaction for the victims; unfortunately, it is a game of profit for traffickers fueled by a demand for cheap services, labor and commercial sex acts. Click here to continue.