It’s Not “The Oldest Profession”: The Real Causes and Consequences of Sex Work

The numbers are staggering, but the stories are even more urgent: sex trafficking thrives where demand goes unchecked and myths cloud our judgment. Today we sit down with human rights attorney Yasmin Vafa, co‑founder and executive director of Rights for Girls, to pull the curtain back on how this market really works—and why centering girls’ voices is the key to stopping it. From courtroom biases that turn victims into defendants to the hobby boards where men casually review the people they buy, we map the hidden infrastructures of exploitation with clarity and care.

Yasmin breaks down the “abuse to prison pipeline” and explains how forced criminality and self‑defense cases trap survivors—often Black girls—in adult courts. We discuss adultification bias, the blurred line between trafficking and prostitution, and language that normalizes harm. Then we go straight to the root: demand. Drawing from the report Buyers Unmasked, we examine buyer attitudes, the role of pornography and entitlement, and why credible buyer accountability programs focus on changing beliefs, not just counting arrests.

Policy is where culture meets consequence. We compare full decriminalization—removing penalties for buying, pimping, and brothels—with the survivor model adopted in places like Sweden and Maine, which decriminalizes the sale of sex while holding traffickers and buyers to account. You’ll hear how fines can fund survivor services, how major sporting events attract sex tourism, and why the “Sex Buying Isn’t A Game” campaign tackles this surge head‑on. Practical takeaways include how to support survivor‑led services, advocate for buyer accountability laws, and bring The Right Track documentary to your community.

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