But the general shortage of public discussion and scholarly study means that deficiencies in the laws and policies relating to this problem are not subject to criticism and review. Furthermore, directing anti-trafficking campaigns only at potential victims does little to mobilize society as a whole to fight this egregious abuse of women s rights, or to change the attitudes and practices that allow women and girls to be bought and sold like cattle. According to academic surveys and press reports, the majority of trafficking victims are rural women from impoverished parts of the country, with most being young. According to a recent paper by various officials involved with combating this crime, most are from Guizhou, Yunnan and Guangxi, and are sold to central and northern China. They tend to be abducted or deceived into going with traffickers when traveling away from home, often in search of work.
Traffickers operate mainly in informal labor markets, railway stations and dockside areas.
In addition, an unknown number of women and girls are sold to traffickers by parents or relatives. Typically, the women and girls are transported across the country to an area with which they are unfamiliar and where they do not know the local dialect, and then sold. Stories of horrific abuse at the hands of traffickers during transport, including rape and even murder, have appeared. Traffickers include individual operators, family businesses and organized networks. According to officials, 70-80 percent are members of criminal organizations.