Toward a human rights framework for human trafficking: Examining the United States government approach to trafficking in persons

Through analyzing rhetoric, documents, campaigns, and financial allocations, I conclude that U.S. government has shaped the global dialogue on human trafficking by dominating anti-trafficking efforts, controlling access to funding and enforcing its own essentialized understanding of trafficking in persons. This approach has limited the international community's ability to combat human trafficking as it imposes U.S. standards and tactics onto distinct and disparate circumstances and challenges. Moreover, the current approach denies the agency of trafficked individuals by treating them as objects instead of subjects. I propose the creation and implementation of a human rights framework for U.S. anti-trafficking efforts, which would strengthen the international human rights regime, provide a common framework for international efforts while allowing for the national autonomy of other states, enable the U.S. government to effectively address root causes of human trafficking and most importantly, protect and promote the human rights of trafficked individuals and other at risk populations.