The trafficking of women is the slavery that we no longer call by its name The situation in Italy today
Slavery has not disappeared; it has only changed form, and it exists here in Italy as well. Even today, thousands of people remain trapped in networks of exploitation that cross continents and economic systems. It is a structural phenomenon that thrives on global inequalities, forced migration, and gender-based violence. Women are its primary victims.
What human trafficking really is today
Human trafficking is a more complex mechanism that involves recruitment, transfer, and exploitation, often carried out through deception or the abuse of situations of extreme vulnerability. It does not simply coincide with migrant smuggling or irregular immigration. Victims are persuaded with false promises of work, education, or stability, or forced through threats, debt, and physical and psychological violence.
Female trafficking, between sexual exploitation and apparent consent
In the case of women, trafficking mainly takes on a sexual and gender-based dimension. Many are forced into prostitution, while others end up in domestic work in conditions of servitude, in clandestine factories, in agricultural fields, or in the restaurant sector. In every case, what these experiences share is the denial of self-determination and fundamental rights. Consent is a central aspect here as well and is often misunderstood. When a woman appears to accept the situation she is in, that consent has no value if it has been obtained through deception, coercion, or the exploitation of a condition of need, something that frequently occurs in these cases. International law is clear on this point, but in practice the boundary is constantly called into question.
Italy as a destination country for female trafficking
Italy is one of the main European destination countries for trafficking victims, especially those coming from West Africa and South Asia. The main reason is that migration routes, geographical position, and the presence of informal economies make the territory particularly exposed to this phenomenon. Official data show significant numbers, but only partially. People who are actually identified as victims represent only a small portion of those living in conditions of exploitation. Many women never come forward because they fear authorities, do not know their rights, or are afraid of retaliation or deportation. Others do not even recognize themselves as victims, because the violence they have suffered has been normalized throughout their migration journey. In recent years, a significant shift has been recorded: while sexual exploitation remains predominant, there has been strong growth in labor exploitation. Agriculture, domestic work, caregiving, and the textile industry are high-risk sectors where the line between work and slavery is often invisible.
@piupontimenomuri_ascs Lo sapevi che… La Tratta è una forma di sfruttamento che toglie libertà alle persone ed esiste anche qui da noi, in Italia? Si definisce Tratta di esseri umani la pratica che consiste nell’indurre una persona a spostarsi per poi sottoporla a sfruttamento lavorativo o sessuale. La tratta si può definire tale se comprende tre componenti: 1) il reclutamento: alla vittima viene proposto di intraprendere un viaggio, promettendo un posto di lavoro nel paese d’arrivo. 2) La presenza di minacce, forme di coercizione nei confronti della vittima 3) Lo sfruttamento, lavorativo, sessuale o in attività illecite, imposto nel paese di arrivo. La persona vittima di tratta rimane incastrata in un sistema a maglie strette da cui è molto difficile uscire: ad esempio, solitamente, le donne nigeriane praticano un rito voodoo, fortemente radicato nel culto tradizionale. Nel rito, le donne giurano fedeltà al proprio sfruttatore e promettono di ripagare il viaggio con il proprio lavoro. Le donne non riescono a sganciarsi dalla condizione di sfruttamento, per paura di ritorsioni nei confronti di se stesse o delle proprie famiglie. Il Gruppo Abele, a Torino, da anni si occupa di vittime di tratta mettendo a disposizione uno sportello di ascolto, una casa di accoglienza e un progetto di unità di strada. Nel corso degli anni ha accolto e fatto emergere dallo sfruttamento sessuale donne dell’Africa sub-sahariana, dell’America Latina e dell’est Europa. Dopo la pandemia, lo sfruttamento sessuale si è spostato maggiormente dalla strada all’online e all’indoor, diventando quindi ancora più nascosto e rendendo ancor più complicato entrare in contatto con le persone vittime di tratta. #ASCS #PiuPontiMenoMuri #Scalabriniani #WeCareForPeople #WeCareForMigrants #SIMNeuropeafrica suono originale - Più Ponti Meno Muri
Women and motherhood
A particularly alarming fact concerns the presence of pregnant women or women with young children among trafficking victims. Motherhood, instead of representing a form of protection, often becomes another tool of blackmail, as children are used to control and force silence. The gender dimension is also central to understanding why many women give up protection programs: leaving trafficking means facing a long and complex path, marked by bureaucratic delays, housing insecurity, language barriers, and social isolation. Without stable and continuous support, freedom risks turning into another form of abandonment.
In Italy: advanced laws but a fragile reality
From a legal standpoint, Italy has important tools and a legal framework that, at least on paper, recognizes the seriousness of the phenomenon. There are national plans, assistance programs, and collaborations with third-sector organizations, but the concrete implementation of these measures is often inconsistent and insufficient. The main critical issues concern access to information and legal assistance, as many women do not know they are entitled to protection or are unable to prove the requirements needed to obtain it. Long waiting times for residence permits, limited resources, and dependence on short-term projects make the process almost impossible.
Contemporary slavery
Slavery is not a remnant of the past, but a reality that coexists with us, in our cities, in the countryside, and in our homes, still generating enormous profits while destroying lives. As long as we continue to consider it a marginal or inevitable phenomenon, it will continue to thrive. Truly combating trafficking means investing in prevention, stable protection, economic autonomy, and the full recognition of women’s rights, and it means stopping looking the other way and calling things by their real name.
