Susana Sanz Caballero, the lead investigator of the project on the Rule of Law in Europe, was invited to Vigo to discuss the international legal response to human trafficking.
In the context of commemorating November 25th, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the Ourense Campus of the University of Vigo became a space for critical reflection on sexual exploitation and the legitimization of gender-based violence. The events featured prominent speakers who illuminated a global issue that unfortunately persists in the shadows.
Dr. Susana Sanz Caballero, the principal investigator of the Rule of Law in Europe project, delivered a lecture titled “Human Trafficking as an Expression of Gender Violence: The Response of International Law.” Dr. Sanz serves as an ad hoc judge at the European Court of Human Rights and is a professor of Public International Law at the CEU Cardenal Herrera University in Valencia. She began her presentation by presenting alarming statistics: the human trafficking business for sexual exploitation generates over 90 billion dollars annually worldwide. She emphasized that the number of identified victims reaches into the millions.
Despite the gravity of these figures, Dr. Sanz highlighted that this issue is often perceived as a “second-rate crime,” almost unnoticed despite occurring daily and coexisting with us. She underscored the importance of addressing this problem in forums like the event held in Ourense, emphasizing the need to raise awareness and take action.
The lecture was part of a day at the University of Vigo in commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. The day included discussions on the legitimization of these forms of violence, sexism, and the sexual trafficking industry.
Read the full article from the University of Vigo (in Galician) here.
