The Effect of Entrepreneurship on Human Trafficking

This study explores the complex relationship between entrepreneurship and human trafficking, examining how entrepreneurial endeavors can influence the prevalence and impact of trafficking in various socio-economic contexts. The study is anchored in both quantitative and qualitative research. Continuous, Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression was utilized for the analysis of primary datasets. Interviews with individuals who have experienced trafficking and transitioned to entrepreneurship, as well as with key stakeholders in anti-trafficking organizations, were also analyzed. The research investigates four primary hypotheses: the Entrepreneurship Influence Hypothesis, which posits that entrepreneurship can provide viable alternatives to trafficking by creating legitimate economic opportunities; the Legal Infrastructure Hypothesis, which examines how legal frameworks supporting entrepreneurship can deter trafficking; the Political Infrastructure Hypothesis, which explores the role of governmental policies in fostering entrepreneurship as a means to combat trafficking; and the Antitrafficking Empowerment Hypothesis, which considers how entrepreneurship can empower survivors and reduce their vulnerability to re-trafficking. The findings of this research contribute to the broader discourse on human trafficking by offering insights into how entrepreneurship can serve as a preventative measure for those most susceptible to being trafficked, a pathway to rehabilitation for survivors, and a tool to prevent re-trafficking. This research advances our understanding of whether entrepreneurship can reduce human trafficking levels and introduces the new <em>Anti-trafficking Empowerment Theory</em>. This theory suggests that entrepreneurship, particularly for women, can mitigate trafficking by fostering empowerment through economic independence.