According to a recent article in Psychology Today, sex-based inequality is a significant factor contributing to trafficking in women, which is why this trade flourishes in Asia. Mimi Vu, an anti-trafficking advocate based in Vietnam, understands that westerners are reluctant to tackle the issue of sexism in Asian cultures because they do not wish to appear insensitive. Nevertheless, because endemic cultural sexism informs so many of the factors that fuel the demand for women, Vu concludes that “talking about gender inequality, openly and pointedly” represents “the first step in preventing the problem.”