Title: Social response towards trafficked women: a gendered perspective

Authors: Khurshed Alam; Aminur Rahman

Addresses: Bangladesh Institute of Social Research (BISR) Trust, Apartment no. 6/B, House no. 6/14, Block no. A, Lalmatia, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh ' Bangladesh Institute of Social Research (BISR) Trust, Apartment no. 6/B, House no. 6/14, Block no. A, Lalmatia, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh

Abstract: This article is aimed to explore the gender dimension of social response to survivors of trafficking in person (TIP) in Bangladesh. Qualitative research methods have been followed in conducting the study. The paper reveals that while women survivors were often denied by their families being blamed to be sexually polluted, male survivors there often receive sympathy for their sufferings caused from trafficking. This distinctive social phenomena has been termed here as 'normative discrimination'. The study also reveals that the sexual purity of women is the precondition of reproductive purity. While most of the studies on TIP focused on the causes, discrimination, and exclusion against women survivors, this study offers a new analytical approach on the reasons of social exclusion.

Keywords: normative discrimination; human trafficking; women trafficking; gendered attitudes; polluted identity.

DOI: 10.1504/IJGSDS.2020.109267

International Journal of Gender Studies in Developing Societies, 2020 Vol.3 No.4, pp.375 - 390

Received: 13 May 2019
Accepted: 01 Apr 2020

Published online: 02 Sep 2020 *

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