Wombs of Entrapment: Forced Pregnancy and the Manipulation of Maternal Bonds Among Vietnamese Trafficking Survivors
Date
Authors
Tran, Le Khanh Chi
Davies, Sharyn
Deckert, Antje
Supervisor
Item type
Journal Article
Degree name
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Informa UK Limited
Abstract
This article draws on insights from 23 frontline support workers to examine the experiences of trafficked women from Vietnam who endure rape, forced pregnancy, and prolonged exploitation. It explores how motherhood creates deep emotional bonds that entrench women in cycles of abuse, as many are unable to escape with their children. For those who do flee, reintegration is hindered by trauma and the loss of language, identity, and community ties–both for mothers and their children. We propose the concept of “wombs of entrapment” to show how motherhood functions as a mechanism of control, limiting women’s autonomy. The article calls for gender-sensitive, trauma-informed interventions that address the unique burdens of coerced motherhood and offer long-term psychosocial support.Description
Keywords
4402 Criminology, 44 Human Society, Pregnancy, Women's Health, 5 Gender Equality, 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, 4402 Criminology, Coerced motherhood, gender-based violence, human trafficking, maternal bonding, reproductive violence, survivor reintegration
Source
Journal of Human Trafficking, ISSN: 2332-2705 (Print); 2332-2713 (Online), Informa UK Limited, ahead-of-print(ahead-of-print), 1-13. doi: 10.1080/23322705.2025.2559536
Publisher's version
Rights statement
© 2025 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent.