Every day men, women and children are trafficked in and out of Moldova; some are transported voluntarily, some are tricked, and some are kidnapped. Hundreds of people lose their freedom every day and become slaves to the will of their exploiters. Although human trafficking can occur for forced labor, a 2000 study reports that a quarter of global trafficking is for sexual purposes. Unfortunately, in Moldova, sex trafficking constitutes 80% of the total trafficking in the country and 10% of the Moldovan population is a victim of trafficking. Today in Moldova a human being can be purchased for only 150 dollars (US dollars). This is a real human rights crisis. What is the cause of this crisis? According to Kligman and Limoncelli, “the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe in 1989 has since provided new resources – geographical and human – for sex trade and trafficking.” It is true? Did the dissolution of the USSR play a role in this violation of human rights or is it a simple coincidence? In the following pages we will take a look at the collapse of communism and the lasting effects of its collapse. I believe that the collapse of the Soviet Union led to the economic collapse of Moldova, as well as the militarization of the surrounding area, which expanded the scope of the sex trade in Moldova. In the next section I will explore Moldova's history and what prepared it for the political and economic stress it encountered. Next I will examine the effects that the economic crisis has had on Moldova and how poverty is produced and influenced the expansion of the sex trade in the country through migration, a massive orphan crisis and corrupt law enforcement. I will then analyze the political unrest in the countries...... middle of paper ......g with NGOs working in Moldova, as well as working to comply with international trafficking laws. Starting in 2006 they began working on prevention programs to discourage girls and young women from entering the sex trade. So far, there has been little result from the measures taken to prevent and end human trafficking in Moldova. Some suggest this is because poverty levels are still so high, while others believe this is simply because women have yet to achieve equality in Eastern Europe. In any case, the issue of sex trafficking is a rampant problem in Eastern Europe, and particularly in Moldova. The collapse of the Soviet Union sent Moldova on a dizzying path toward economic strife and corruption that left lasting effects. The consequences of which are still seen today through the atrocious human trafficking industry.