Potential gender dimensions of a kidney trafficking market in South Africa

The trafficking of human organs for transplant purposes appears to be a growing problem for South Africa and the developing world at large. The international nature of this trade suggests that there are global or universal root causes to this phenomenon, which include rapidly changing societal attitudes towards 'the body' and economic pressures. While this global perspective is crucial to understanding the growth of this trade, I will argue in this focus that certain topical factors, such as HIV/AIDS, poverty, labour market conditions and health behaviours, compound these effects in South Africa. It will be shown that the effects of these supplementary factors are felt more acutely by women, and therefore, this paper will explore possible implications for the gender dimensions of organ trafficking. Specifically, the aim of this focus is to examine whether women are likely to become more vulnerable to a market for kidney trafficking in South Africa.