One would think that human trafficking victims are mostly kidnapped against their will by very powerful trafficking rings. However, this is not the case in a Southern Nigerian state known as Edo State. Majority of the sex trafficking victims in West Africa hail from this part of the country. Parents plead with traffickers to sponsor their daughters abroad to “hustle” as early as 16 years of age. What would make a parent consent to the trafficking of his or her own offspring? They claim they want the family to have a better financial life and to escape the harsh realities of a country where most youths are unemployed and majority of the population live below poverty level. The major push factor of sex trafficking in Africa has always been poverty. Victims, as well as parents, consent to their own trafficking in that part of the world. The victims even willingly participate in oath ceremonies orchestrated by traffickers through voodoo priests. This presentation will discuss the legal implication of a victim's consent to being trafficked (e.g., Does a victim's consent reduce a trafficker's culpability?). This presentation will conclude with initiatives and recommendations to the government of Africa as well as NGOs on how to curb this menace especially through providing a better economy for its people and through education.
Ochuko Joy Agbeyegbe is a human rights attorney and anti-trafficking advocate admitted to practice in both New York State and her home country of Nigeria. Joy has been instrumental in the rescue of sex and labor trafficking victims around the world. She is the founder of End Trafficking International.