A 'Neo-Abolitionist Trend' in Sub-Saharan Africa? Regional Anti-Trafficking Patterns and a Preliminary Legislative Taxonomy
Seattle Journal of Social Justice, Vol. 9, Issue 2, pp. 599-678
80 Pages Posted: 8 Sep 2010 Last revised: 14 Nov 2013
Date Written: July 1, 2011
Abstract
From the late 1990s anti-trafficking agencies – including domestic and regional NGOs and inter-governmental organizations – called on African nations to take legislative action to combat child trafficking. Responding to this advocacy, the US State Department added further political pressure to enact change. This article explores the content of anti-trafficking legislation in sub-Saharan Africa as it addresses the problems of coercion and parental responsibility. We examine the forms and content of the laws, using examples from several countries, and analyze the current wave of anti-trafficking legislation based on their respective responses to international models for criminalization of the parental role in child trafficking.
Keywords: legislation, human trafficking, slavery, child abuse, human rights, West Africa, Trafficking Victims Protection Act
JEL Classification: K19, K33, K42, N40, N47, R23
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation