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Gendered labor relies on stereotypes and gendered norms that restrict career mobility based on gender, increasing gender-based division of labor (Fiveable, 2024). These norms shape which types of work are considered appropriate for men or women and, in doing so, create systems of vulnerability that enable human trafficking. When social, cultural, and economic structures confine people to gendered roles, they also limit access to education, fair wages, and secure employment, conditions that heighten the risk of exploitation (ICAT, 2017).
Textile Industry, taken by George Hodan
For women, gendered labor and gender-based violence often intersect. A UN Women policy brief highlights how women are frequently barred from education, social mobility, and formal job access, forcing many into informal, unregulated, and low-paid sectors (UN Women, 2025). Domestic work and garment and textile production are examples of feminized labor markets shaped by these limitations. About 60% of workers in garment and textile industries are women, many of whom are migrant workers (UN Women, 2025). Since they are often paid per garment rather than by the hour, these workers are easily exploited and underpaid (UN Women, 2025). The systematic control of women within patriarchal societies heightens their vulnerability, particularly when migration is involved. Migrant women often depend on recruiters or employers who exploit their lack of protection and legal status (UN Women, 2025).
While women represent 71% of trafficking victims, which reflect the link between feminized labor and vulnerability, gendered labor also shapes male exploitation (ICAT, 2017). Approximately 63% of people who experience forced labor are men, many of whom work in agriculture and construction (ICAT, 2017). Programs such as the Bracero Program historically target male migrants for low-wage agricultural labor, and similar patterns persist today (Library of Congress). In the United Arab Emirates, for instance, “manpower supply agencies” import male migrant workers for subcontracted construction jobs, where they are often underpaid, indebted, or deceived about working conditions (Human Rights Watch, 2006). Gender stereotypes also discourage men from reporting abuse, allowing exploitation to continue unnoticed (ICAT, 2017).
Ultimately, gendered labor divisions, shaped by power dynamics and cultural norms, create the conditions under which human trafficking can thrive (ICAT, 2017). When labor opportunities and exploitation of the body are connected to gender, societies perpetuate vulnerability.
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