Traffickers are NOT the main players. Traffickers are, in fact, mere intermediaries. Although often unscrupulous and brutal, traffickers simply move and supply "the goods" - in this case, the bodies of young women and girls.

Traffickers’ lucrative earnings are possible only through the huge global demand from men - through prostitution, stripping, lapdancing, peep shows, sex tourism, pornography, etc. - who seek a ‘smorgasbord’ of mostly-female bodies of varying ages, ethnicities, and physical characteristics, to meet a wide range of sexual fantasies, sexual titillation and sexual demands.

Traffickers don’t drive sex trafficking. Male "patrons" of global sex markets do.

But for male demand, there would be no supply. Sex traffickers would be out of work. Sex trafficking would cease. Countless women and girls would experience life free of repeated rapes, sexual exploitation and sexual denigration.

Poverty is a significant risk factor for potential victims (most simply wanting a better life) but poverty is NOT the main cause of sex trafficking. How many poor young men are trafficked into sex markets?

Young women and girls are trafficked into global sex markets first and foremost because they are female, with bodies and orifices that countless men believe they are entitled to use, abuse and exploit.

Male demand, not poverty, is the main cause of sex trafficking.

Targeting traffickers, while commendable, has limited value. Most operate undetected through small networks or in collusion with corrupt officials, rule victims with threats and violence, and are never likely to come to the attention of law enforcement.

Targeting a few will have little deterrent impact. Others will spring up, to take their place. As long as millions of "patrons" of brothels, lapdancing and strip clubs, sex tourism, etc. feel entitled to seek a 'smorgasbord' of young women of varying ethnicities, characteristics and ages as sex objects, toys, or chattels, profits to traffickers are huge, risks are low.

Efforts to target traffickers, without tackling male demand, will achieve little.

Rescuing victims is high on the agenda of some agencies. While commendable, and of immeasurable value to those rescued, rescuing 100 victims will merely give rise to another 100 victims being trafficked and repeatedly raped, if demand by men stays static.

Efforts to rescue victims, without tackling male demand that drives global sex markets, will achieve little.

National, regional and international laws, Plans of Action, treaties, etc are important. However, if they are not matched by calls on the countless men who fuel sex markets through brothels, strip and lapdancing clubs, sex tourism, hardcore pornography, etc. they are largely rhetoric and "window-dressing", achieving little.

Most countries with laws targeting human trafficking currently criminalise so few traffickers, legislation has virtually no impact. Deterrence is negligible.

What is required however are laws following the models of Sweden (criminalising those who purchase sexual services) and Iceland (in addition, outlawing clubs that profit from the nudity of employees). These progressive countries recognise that such activities fuel sex trafficking, the degradation of women and gender inequality. In recent years, intercepts of traffickers by Swedish intelligence have revealed that Sweden is no longer an attractive destination for sex traffickers, unlike its neighbouring countries.

Scant resources, costly operations, lengthy trials, corruption of officials, etc. are impediments to sufficient numbers of prosecutions worthy of making a difference.

Without efforts to tackle male demand that fuels trafficking of young women and girls into sexual slavery, little will be achieved. Countless young women and girls will continue to be repeatedly raped, sexually exploited and sexually denigrated, for male use, abuse and entertainment.