Human Trafficking and HIV: Exploring Vulnerabilities and Responses in South Asia

HIV/AIDS and human trafficking threaten human security and human development. Millions of women and girls have been trafficked across borders and within countries in recent years, making human trafficking a global industry that generates an estimated five to seven billion U.S. dollars each year.

In an effort to reduce the dual vulnerabilities of trafficking and HIV among women and girls through greater understanding of the issues and the current state of play in the region, the UNDP RCC convened a Rapid Assessment Studies (RAS) in six South Asian countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The RAS highlights the magnitude, dimensions, causes, consequences and key interventions on HIV/AIDS and human trafficking. The emphasis was on exploring the linkage of the two issues and mainstreaming at different levels of interventions – policy, legislation and programming. A compilation of findings from the RAS is presented in this publication, which highlights the critical links between the two issues and the paucity of data and concerted efforts to address the two together. A number of areas of convergence and joint initiatives have also been identified and recommended.