Lack of education for girls fuels human trafficking in Brazil

According to a study recently published by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the Brazilian Ministry of Justice, the majority of women trafficked into sexual exploitation in Brazil are between 18 and 21 years old, are from poor backgrounds and have little education. The fact that they have not received much education makes them vulnerable to job offers from traffickers which seem to promise a better life. One of the keys to reducing the level of human trafficking around the world is the provision of good education for girls and increasing the prospects of real jobs when they leave school. In contrast, the research revealed that the first level of human traffickers who contact the women are men between 31 years and 41 years old who have good education. The majority of traffickers at this level are entrepreneurs who work at nightclubs, trade businesses, dating agencies, bars, tour agencies, and even beauty parlours. As well as being trafficked within Brazil, these victims are also sent to Europe, Japan and the USA. The research also concluded that law enforcers often see this kind of trafficking as less important than drugs and arms trafficking.