Human trafficking is defined as, “The illegal trade of human beings for the purposes of reproductive slavery, commercial sexual exploitation, forced labor, or a modern-day form of slavery.” Prostitution is defined as, “The act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment.” These two entities go hand in hand, as nearly four million people are trafficked every year into some form of prostitution. Humans are trafficked for other reasons, though, such as: forced labor, domestic servitude, and farm work. However, the number one reason for human trafficking is prostitution. The more shocking reality of the situation is that some countries tolerate prostitution. It is even legal in some places. In Copenhagen, Denmark, prostitution is rampant because of such decriminalization (Shubert). This profusion of illicit activity is the birth child of one thing, human trafficking. The fact that some countries allow acts of prostitution to be legal is dubious. Anyone forced into any acts that they don’t wish to participate in is having their civil liberties violated. If such violations are to be stopped, then one must look for the root of the root of the problem. The root seems to be lawful prostitution, because it only seems to welcome the idea of trafficking unwilling individuals into positions in which they don’t want to be in. Conversely, some individuals are wholly willing to participate in acts of prostitution. However, these people shouldn’t be put at risk to get taken advantage of by human traffickers. Universal regulations should be set in place to end all forms of prostitution and levy more severe penalties for human trafficking, as these acts directly violate a person’s rights to live freely and safely.
To maintain the governments of the world, each country’s economy must contribute. Some economies thrive off of prostitution.