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Sex trafficking in women is high on the agenda at the Beijing+5 conference, but the U.S. Senate is dragging its feet on passing a bill to protect women and children from sexual predators. After much discussion of limiting the definition of trafficking to one where force was used, the House passed a bill last spring (HR 3244) that would punish traffickers regardless of whether the victim "consented". But the House bill includes mandatory economic sanctions against countries that do not punish traffickers, and this, many women's advocates believe, will make some countries even poorer and therefore drive more women at the lowest economic levels into sex slavery. Urge your Senators (202-224-3121) to push for a vote on S. 2414, a bill from Senator Paul Wellstone (D-MN), that would allow some discretion in applying sanctions while still maintaining strong punishments for trafficking countries. (WFF 6/9/00)

More than one million women and children are forced into the global sex trade each year, generating organized crime revenue second only to drugs and guns. Victims are often promised foreign jobs, but are instead forced into prostitution, exposed to deadly diseases, and face death threats and physical brutality. Talks at the U.N. Transnational Crime Committee in Vienna could result in a weakening of the definition of trafficking, if the Clinton Administration suceeds in adding the word "forced" to the definition of prostitution. It would open the door for traffickers (and possibly pornographers) to claim that women "consent" to their own exploitation, so it's not illegal. (The Administration is said to be afraid of offending European countries where prostitution is legal, even though the European Women's Lobby wants a strong definition.) The Coalition Against Trafficking in Women and leading feminists have written to President Clinton urging him to drop his opposition to a strong definition of trafficking. Add your voice to theirs by faxing Secretary of State Madeleine Albright at 202-647-7120 or e-mail [email protected]. Copy the President's Interagency Council on Women at fax 202-647-5337.

After reporting that U.N. talks in Vienna could result in weakening enforcement against sex trafficking by adding the word "forced" to the definition of prostitution, WFF was contacted by the State Department for clarification. We were assured that the Administration affirms its commitment to working closely with women's groups, and State is working against all forms of trafficking not just prostitution. (Complete details: http://secretary.state.gov/www/picw/trafficking/) So readers can judge for themselves, we are printing the U.S. government definition: "all acts involved in the recruitment, transport, harboring or sale of persons within national or across international borders through coercion, force, kidnapping, deception or fraud, for purposes of placing persons in situations of forced labor or services, such as forced prostitution, domestic servitude, debt bondage or other slavery-like practices." WFF also continues to hear from feminists on both sides of the question of whether uncoerced prostitution can be a legitimate work choice. One place where there is common ground is the need for strong legislation on trafficking. The leading bill, the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (HR.3244), has been criticized as seriously flawed, because (A) it creates a definition of trafficking that could let non- "severe" traffickers go free, and (B) it calls for mandatory economic sanctions in countries where traffickers operate - even though such sanctions could worsen the desperation of the poor, and inadvertently enhance the lure of traffickers. Urge chief sponsor Chris Smith (R-NJ; 202-225-3765; fax 202-225-7768) to go back to the drawing board and strengthen this bill into something worthy of women's support.