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1. Human trafficking is a labour issue, says Bandana Pattanaik | The Guardian
2. Human trafficking and south-east Asian women: it's not all about sex work | The Guardian

Women who travel from Bangladesh, India and Nepal for domestic work in the Middle East are vulnerable to mistreatment, says Bandana Pattanaik, international co-ordinator of Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women, which comprises more than 100 NGOs. The alliance aims to protect women by providing safer routes of travel and bolstering employment rights – many female migrant workers say they are underpaid, overworked and unprotected by law.

In the article of Human trafficking and south-east Asian women: it's not all about sex work, Bandana Pattanaik says greater understanding of the extent of labour trafficking – which, according to the ILO, affects 21 million people a year – will help find solutions that keep women safe while allowing them to take work opportunities that could benefit themselves and their families.

"I think the launch of initiatives … give us the opportunities to look at women … not only as potential victims but as workers with rights," she says. "I think it's a good moment that we are looking at … trafficking not only as violence against women but also as a labour issue."