Human Trafficking as a Non-Traditional Security Threat in Afghanistan: Post 2021

Authors

  • Divya Anand IILM Lodhi Road, India
  • Harmeet Singh Government Degree College-Katra, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32674/vn9xwk06

Keywords:

Afghanistan, Human Trafficking, Women, Children, Non Traditional Security THreats

Abstract

Afghanistan, a South Asian country is known to be a hotspot for trafficking not only drugs but also persons. There exist numerous factors contributing to the human trafficking phenomenon, including weak political culture, ethnic cleavages, economic instability, lack of basic services and security, and decades of war and internal conflicts. The situation worsened in August 2021, when Taliban 2.0 took over political control resorting to amplified human trafficking practices in the name of protecting socio-religious practices and cultural norms, and to deal with an increased economic insecurity. Even boys are made the easy targets by the Taliban to be involved in “Bacha Bazi”. This paper will be qualitative in nature with an attempt to use Conflict Theory, Structural Functional Theory and Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs theory to understand an increasing menace of Human Trafficking of women and children in Afghanistan. It also aims to explain how it can be curbed

Author Biographies

  • Divya Anand, IILM Lodhi Road, India

    DIVYA ANAND, PhD, is an Associate Dean and the Assistant Professor at IILM Lodhi Road, New Delhi. Her major research interests lie in the South Asian Affairs, Indian Foreign Policy, Security, Terrorism and Counterterrorism. She also undertakes research and writes on International Political Economy, Political and Economic issues of the European Region. Email- divya.hinducollege@gmail.com

  • Harmeet Singh, Government Degree College-Katra, India

    HARMEET SINGH, PhD, is the Head of Department of Political Science, Government Degree College, Katra, University of Jammu, India. His major research interest lies in the India-Central Asia relations, Afghanistan, Security, and Regional Geopolitics. Email- harmeetjnu@gmail.com

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Published

2025-12-25