Screening Trafficking in Women: Prudent or Perilous (Research Brief)

My research studies how effective anti-trafficking films/videos/documentaries are and how (and if) they create the viewer as action-oriented citizen or how (and if) they produce only voyeurists who doubt the real dimensions of trafficking.

Considering the increased world-wide campaign of using videos for education and prevention of trafficking (the US government and US embassies around the world, for instance, conduct screenings of trafficking films for local viewers), my research appears to be of utmost importance for policy makers in governments and NGOs. Utilizing East European film-creators and exploring East European trafficking cases, numerous anti-trafficking films are produced by the West.

Download the pdf at the top of this page for the full brief.
Yana Hashamova, of Ohio State University, was a 2008-09 Short-Term Travel Grants fellow.