GENDER MIGRATION AND TRAFFICKING IN PERSON IN SELECTED NIGERIAN FILMS

Abstract

Trafficking in person is a heinous crime which has received considerable attention from the Nigerian government and various advocacy groups such as the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Person (NAPTIP) because of its exploitative nature on the lives of the citizens and image of the country. This has pushed many Nigerians into prostitution, forced labour, untimely deaths and other dehumanizing criminal activities associated with it. The media over the past few years have reported cases of trafficking with a higher percentage of these cases directly or indirectly linked to the high rate of local and international emigration attributed to the current economic downturn and high rate of insecurity in the country. Although male and female migrants fall prey to traffickers, recent research has proven that female migrants are more vulnerable to abuse and trafficking in the course of migration because of their biological sexual configurations. Hence, this study explores the intersections between migration, gender and trafficking in the Nigerian space. Employing the purposive sampling technique of the qualitative research methodology, the two migration- themed films were selected and content-analyzed. Using Crenshaw Kimberley’s theory on Intersectionality for analysis, findings reveal that female migrants are the major victims of trafficking in Nigeria.