Mail order bride industries are industries that advertise this distorted reality of happiness which helps single women from developing countries meet single men from developed nations. In Mail-Order Brides In A Global World, Marie-Claire Belleau' sheds light on the mail order bride industries as nothing more than the trafficking of women.
I think that it is bewildering such industries exist. Women come to developed countries with the perception of living a better life with someone who will love them. Not only this, but they are receiving these hopes and dreams from "first world" websites. I agree with Belleau' on her perspective of these sites being more a "legal" trafficking setup on the basis of women coming to North America etc., and then receiving abuse, treated as prostitutes and so forth.
It is inadequate that these industries are booming at the lives of vulnerable women who are unaware of what they have truly signed up for. These industries are a asset to none other but the companies themselves and the men doing the choosing of the women they want. Belleau' expands on how the websites promote more of the wants from men but nothing about the women. It truly bewilders me that because these women come from poor countries and not as knowledgable that makes them ineligible for human decency and love?
This article is similar to the events that occurred in Japan during World War II. Women were forced to have sex with soldiers as "comfort" for them. Although these women aren't forced to go to developed countries for the needs of men, they are being bought and majority do end up enslaved by their purported husbands, sold as sex slaves or abused. This is the same concept that occurred in Japan, women are bought and sold for the pleasure of men.
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What could be done to better help women who make the decision to come to developed nations and end up in abused relationships?
It is very frustrating that women are being abused in the MOB industry. The whole system seems to take advantage of poor women that dream for better lives. However, the bigger reason I'd argue about the rise of MOB companies and the women that go in is from globalization and SAP programs. With high unemployment in men and feminization of the labor force which is low pay, diminishes women's ability to provide for themselves and their families. This is not only a cultural problem that some women feel the demand to join MOB. It's also an economic burden of women and to survive they choose to leave their country marry men that give them hope for a better future. However, the abuse of MOB is still common and these women should be protected by the laws of the country they moved to. Women that migrate for marriage should feel safe and able to go to the police without the fear of prosecution.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Ciere and Maya that it is disappointing to find that women are being manipulated into the sex industry, to be taken advantage of by men who want them for pleasure. It's already common notion in so many parts of the world, that if a woman is poor, slender, and pretty she will more likely be sold as a sex worker or into prostitution. In fact, relating to Maya's blog post, in India young girls are being trafficked into dancing for men at bars and clubs, which shouldn't even be acceptable. Yet, these are the illicit actions that happen in the lower shadow economy. Living lives like these, women feel their hopes are often shattered, so their last resort is to be a MOB and marry a man in a better off country who can give them the luxury. Therefore, the Russian woman mentioned in the movie, "She adjusted to John and her age difference, because as long as she got the privileges in the new country and a better life style" with a real man that could provide for her and her children. Yet, there are so many false misconceptions in male order brides, for example the Russian woman who refused to marry the American man, as she probably felt uncomfortable, because he too probably only saw her for pleasure.
ReplyDeleteIn that sense, I agree that the MOB business is still considered abuse of women, as its pretty women being married to older men that want them for only pleasure, and they impress these women through the money. Rather than that, wouldn't she just want to make a living for herself, which is healthier, just like the Russian woman who refused chose to do?