KINGSTON, R.I. – January 30, 2002 -- The first event of The Annual Dana Shugar Women's Studies Spring Colloquium features a lecture by Donna Hughes, professor of Women's Studies, on "Trafficking in Women and Children for Sexual Exploitation." Free and open to the public, the lecture will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 5, 5-6:30 p.m. in the URI Library’s Galanti Lounge.

The University’s Eleanor M. and Oscar M. Carlson Endowed Chair, Hughes is internationally known for her research and writing on violence against women, sexual exploitation, women's organized resistance to violence, and religious fundamentalism and women's rights. She also works on issues related to women, science and technology.

Trafficking in women and children for the purpose of sexual exploitation is a multi-billion dollar global trade. Women are trafficked to, from, and through every region in the world using methods that have become new forms of slavery. The value of the global trade in women as commodities for sex industries is estimated to be between seven and twelve billion dollars annually.

Hughes’ research has been supported by the National Institute of Justice, the National Science Foundation, the Association of American Colleges and Universities, the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, the International Organization for Migration, the Council of Europe, the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women, the Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education, University of Rhode Island Foundation, the University of Rhode Island Council for Research, and the University of Bradford, UK.