The Impact of Push Factors on the Patterns of Human Trafficking: A Comparative Analysis between the Philippines, Ukraine, and the United States

Human trafficking is a hidden crime that deserves continued investigation and understanding. This comparative analysis focuses on the Philippines, Ukraine, and the United States in order to identify factors that facilitate human trafficking within these countries. This comparative analysis will examine how push factors such as corruption, gender inequality, and socioeconomic factors vary across these three countries. I hypothesize that gender inequality, corruption, and high levels of poverty will act as push factors that leave individuals living within certain countries more vulnerable to human trafficking. Bales theory and Feminist theory provide insight as to how each country's human trafficking patterns would be expected to be impacted by the different push factors. Ukraine's human trafficking patterns will be impacted most by the level of corruption and failing infrastructure due to its past with the Former Soviet Union and ties with Russia. The Philippines' human trafficking patterns will be impacted most by high levels of poverty linked to natural disasters. Finally, the United States' human trafficking patterns will be impacted most by the lack of female representation in politics that could be impacting the way society views women and their value in society.