H UMAN T RAFFICKING S ECTION Jason Sherman – Spring 2012

L OGISTICS Office Hours 5-6pm in Greenhouse Café (by appt) Midterm

W EEK ’ S T OPICS Gendercide One Child Policy Baby Trafficking Bridal Trafficking and Mail Order Brides

A ROUND THE H ORN 4 Teams Each will Get a Chance to Speak on Every Topic Must respond quickly! Points will be given for making a good point, posing a good argument, or countering what another classmate says Will announce scores after each couple rounds Team with the post points gets a free week off from DQ’s.

AROUND THE HORN

G ENDERCIDE

F IRST W ORD - G ENERCIDE It is estimated that there are approximately 200 Million missing girls in the world. Many attribute this difference to Foeticide (sex selective abortions), Neonaticide (killing of babies), and Infanticide (fatal neglect of infants). What would cause someone to do this?

H INDU P ROVERB "Raising a daughter is like watering your neighbors' garden.” If the family line passes through the son he is supposed to look after his parents in old age and inherent land, while daughters are considered to have joined another family upon marriage, how can that rational incentive for Gendercide be altered?

C AUSES OF I NCREASED G ENDERCIDE Many claim that the decreased cost of prenatal sex-determination technology (~$12) has significantly increased the problem even though its illegal to perform in many countries including India and China. Others claim that an abortion is better than a murdered newborn. Who do you agree with?

R ICH S TATES Richest, most educated states in India and China have highest imbalance ratios. Thus, many claim this is not an issue of poverty. Why is this happening more in wealthy areas?

C HINA ’ S O NE C HILD P OLICY AND B ABY T RAFFICKING

C HINA ’ S O NE C HILD P OLICY Beginning in 1979, this policy has helped China deal with overpopulation by preventing nearly 300M births. However, over 50 million women are missing in China and the ratio has been increased since the policy was adopted. Buy or Sell? The benefits of the policy as a whole. That China’s One Child Policy is the leading cause of Gendercide in China.

O NLY C HILDREN Some parents are over-indulging their only children in which the media call “little emperors.” During the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, the government proposed increasing the limit to two children because of "social problems and personality disorders in young people." What are the consequences of “little emperor syndrome” across an entire population?

O RPHANAGE R EGULATION The Chinese intercountry adoption program was created in response to thousands of abandoned babies. China Center for Adoption Affairs (CCAA) sets up requirements for orphanages, adoptees, adoptive parents. However, most orphanages illegally don’t participate in CCAA because they have to meet requirements (staff-to-child ratio, hygiene, facilities and equipment). Should the CCAA change their requirements or more strictly enforce their current rules?

B ABY T RAFFICKING Americans adopt 80% of Chinese adoptees, and they must apply for children through CCAA. They must gain permission from state and federal governments to adopt internationally. The process costs $15,000-$20,000. Also, domestic adoption is common, but very few are completed through state agencies. Should the Chinese government encourage domestic adoptions? When so many families are willing to abort, abandon, or sell their children, how can there be a “robust demand for children to adopt domestically”?

P RIVATE A DOPTIONS Some scholars believe China should change its laws to make buying children a serious offense, monitor and fund local-level social welfare institutes, encourage private adoption. However, the Hengyang Social Welfare Institute in Hunan had been buying babies collecting almost $3000 per child from adoptive parents to sell the babies internationally. Overall, 6 orphanages placed about 1000 trafficked babies with Western adoptive parents between 2002 and Highly profitable. Is this a legitimate business operation?

B RIDAL T RAFFICKING

G ENDERCIDE AND B RIDAL T RAFFICKING TIP report estimates that between 10k and 20k brides are trafficked domestically each year in China with profits estimated at $7B annually. Special organized gangs kidnap women and sell them to men. What is the connection between Gendercide and increased bridal trafficking?

V OLUNTARY B RIDES AND IMB S Over 200 agencies provide photos and bios of nearly 150,000 foreign women annually. Of the 10,000 sucessful marriages each year, approxiamte 4,000 are to U.S. men.

B ROKER L AWS Since 1996, Fed. Legislation now requires int’l marriage brokers (IMBs) to conduct background checks on US clients and disclose results to foreign women as well as many other regulations over the process to protect the women. Should the government get involved in international dating services? Should they get involved in all our relationships?

B RIDE I SOLATION Women often cannot leave these marriages for economic, immigration, and social reasons; or out of fear/violence. Some have made the connection to slavery. When does a voluntary marriage become slavery?