Vang was trafficked across the border from Laos to China, forced into prostitution. Due to her visual impairment, she relied on sound, touch and smell to navigate her interactions and make judgements. When the police rescued and returned Vang to Laos, she was severely distressed and unable to provide information about what had happened to her.
In Asia and the Pacific, approximately 15.1 million people are estimated to be trapped in situations that constitute trafficking in persons.
While anyone can fall prey to the hands of a trafficker, certain individuals and groups are more vulnerable to abuse and exploitation due to their gender, sexuality, age, migration status, region and other factors that can lead to social, economic and political exclusion.
Vang’s story highlights the different facets of identity that intersect and can compound to increase vulnerability to trafficking – specifically, her experiences as a female, a person with a disability, and possibly an individual from an ethnic minority group or a ‘hard to reach’ geographic area.
To unpack how intersectional factors including gender, disability, age and ethnicity impact vulnerability to trafficking, a two-day regional dialogue with ASEAN representatives, Organisations of Persons with Disabilities and other NGOs was held in Bangkok, Thailand (22-23 January 2025).
This initiative was supported by Australia through the ASEAN-Australia Counter Trafficking program, in partnership with the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC) Thailand, the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) Thailand, and in collaboration with the OSCE's Office of the Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings.
Over the course of the 2-day dialogue, participants heard from both ASEAN and European experts about the particular vulnerabilities of children to all forms of human trafficking – the under researched issue of children in institutional settings and young adults leaving care or institutional settings was a particular focus.
Drawing on studies conducted by the ASEAN-Australia Counter Trafficking program and the OSCE, another session highlighted the pressing issues faced by persons with disabilities who experience heightened vulnerabilities to exploitation and abuse and addition barriers in accessing justice, protection and support when trafficking does occur.
The vulnerabilities of minorities including marginalised ethnic and religious groups, stateless populations and asylum seekers were also discussed. Oftentimes, these groups lack access to legal identity and other documentations required to access services and participate meaningfully in social, political and economic life.
By the end of the dialogue, participants commented that they had gained significant new knowledge and insights on the complex drivers of trafficking in persons. There was also strong consensus in the room that preventing and reducing vulnerability to trafficking in persons requires a holistic approach that cuts across the three communities of ASEAN and ensures that inclusion is front and centre of all regional and national initiatives.
Prior to the ASEAN dialogue on intersectional vulnerabilities to trafficking in persons, the program facilitated a workshop (21 January 2025) with ASEAN representatives and civil society to validate a new regional policy brief on the nexus of disability and trafficking with recommendations on how disability inclusion can be incorporated into counter trafficking.
The policy brief is based on research undertaken by the ASEAN-Australia Counter Trafficking Program in partnership with La Trobe University, which began in 2022. Since the initial study was released, a further three Southeast Asian countries have been analysed and there has been increased awareness through international and regional events on the findings and recommendations from the research.
The findings from the second phase of the study are consistent with patterns across the region – many trafficked victims with disabilities are not formally identified which causes them to miss out on access to essential recovery services. Even when identified, existing support services frequently fail to address their specific needs.
In a thought-provoking keynote speech, UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Ms Heba Hagrass stated that justice remains elusive for persons with disabilities due to the failure of justice systems to offer reasonable accommodations and support. She urged all ASEAN Member States to strengthen regional cooperation on this issue, including integrating UN mandates to prevent all forms of abuse and exploitation of persons with disabilities into national strategies and plans.
Ms Hagrass highlighted the heightened risks of persons with disabilities to abuse and exploitation, with women and children particularly vulnerable to the intersecting risks.