Human trafficking and violation of girls' rights to education in sub-saharan africa

Abstract

The right to education is a fundamental human right and is considered the key to unlocking other human rights. Human trafficking, involving child displacement, abduction, sexual exploitation, and violence against girls and young women, poses great risks to the safety, stability, and expression of women rights, including their right to education. Investing in girls' education has a multiplier effect, transforming communities, countries, and the entire world. Quality education, even for women in rural or low socio-economic environments, leads them to develop a sense of agency about gender equality and the assertiveness to ward off unwanted sexual advances. This chapter addresses human trafficking as both a cause and consequence of the violation of girls' rights to education. The focus is on girls and women since they constitute the majority of those trafficked. Sharing some examples of violent acts that have threatened the rights of many girls to quality education in sub-Saharan Africa, the chapter features a discussion of education as a human rights issue, and the consequences of unequal access of girls to education in sub-Saharan Africa. The authors opine that the impact of human trafficking on the rights to education of girls and women in sub-Saharan Africa requires further examination because of its direct consequences to the victims and its long-term consequences on development, progress, and peace in the region.