Introduction

This chapter continues the use of the comparative historical method of process tracing to analyze a third and final solution from Chapter 3. More specifically, this chapter presents the results of The Gambia, whose fsQCA solution leading to human trafficking included a combination of high economic dominance, not high globalization, high income inequality, high gender inequality, high corruption, and high state fragility. Together these conditions combine in important ways to create a unique pathway for human trafficking. The chapter begins by briefly outlining The Gambia's history. Following that, the conditions identified in the pathway are unraveled historically to reveal how high economic dominance emerged due to IMF and World Bank restructuring. Yet a lack of economic and political stabilization meant that social inequalities were not improved and corruption continued to weaken the state. The relationship such forces have with cross-national migration, rural– urban migration, and human trafficking are explored before concluding the chapter.

The Gambia

A brief history

Following the River Gambia, the small West African country of The Gambia (henceforth Gambia) is completely bounded by Senegal with the exception of its small Atlantic coastline. Though it is the smallest country on mainland Africa, Gambia has a population of just over two million. The country gained independence from Great Britain in 1965 and became known for retaining political stability in its early years (Perfect, 2016). Although there was a multi-party democracy within the country, the first president, Dawda Jawara, governed from 1965 to 1994.

An attempted coup in 1981 splintered political parties, resulted in an estimated 500 deaths, and effectively shattered standing beliefs about the stable nature of Gambia (Saine, 2012). The fallout that resulted is summarized by Kandeh (1996: 391):