Opening Statement:
“World Day Against Trafficking in Persons” is an awareness day set specifically for the sensitization of global citizens to the human trafficking pandemic. Human Trafficking involves recruiting, transporting, and possession of human individuals through coercion or other fraudulent means to exploit them for profit. Anyone can be a victim of this heinous act regardless of age or background, and human trafficking is present all over the world. Established in 2013, the United Nations General Assembly held a high-level meeting in which they designated July 30th as the World Day against Trafficking in Persons.
History Of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons
· Human trafficking is a global pandemic that stemmed from the era of slavery and is still very much prevalent today. It can be defined simply as the unlawful act of transporting or coercing people to benefit from their work or service, which is typically in the form of forced labor or sexual exploitation. The act is a crime against the person because it violates the victim’s rights of movement through coercion as well as the fact that the victim is being commercially exploited.
· Human trafficking particularly targets women and children, and may not always involve the movement of the person from one place to another. And though labor trafficking and sex trafficking are usually treated separately in the general trafficking discourse, one thing that victims of both forms of trafficking have in common is that their trafficking began with a migration to a seemingly better environment. The United Nations Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others was adopted in 1949 and came into effect in 1951. The convention was a legal turning point in human trafficking as it was the primary legally binding instrument on the subject.
· As of today, only 66 countries have ratified the convention. The major reason for the low ratification rate is the hesitation of several countries to criminalize prostitution as stipulated by the Convention. Following the enforcement of the Convention, the international community adopted several (legally non-binding) instruments which directed the focus of human trafficking to (the trafficking of) women. One such instrument is The Beijing Platform for Action adopted by the Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995, which calls for the effective suppression of the trafficking of women and girls in the sex trade.
Trafficking Of Persons with Disabilities for Sex, Forced Labor, and Benefits
· As in all trafficking cases, perpetrators use force, fraud, and/or coercion to hold victims with disabilities in
enslavement
· While victims with disabilities may be trafficked into sex or labor, many cases include one additional element:
the theft of Social Security and disability benefits
· The opportunity to steal government benefits provides an added incentive for traffickers to target persons with disabilities
How To Observe World Day Against Trafficking in Persons
· Read Up on The History of Trafficking
You can and should do some reading up on the history of trafficking. Research how international organizations have handled it so far.
· Donate To Shelters for Trafficking Victims
Donate clothes and other goods to shelters for victims of human trafficking, as this would go a long way. Any amount helps and it’s for a worthwhile cause.
· Offer Jobs to Survivors of Trafficking
If you are privileged to do so, kindly give jobs to survivors of human trafficking, to help them get back on their feet. It takes a lot of strength and resilience to recover from something like human trafficking. Any help along the way is appreciated by survivors.
5 Facts About Human Trafficking
1. Human Trafficking Is a Global Issue and Concern
Human trafficking is not specific to a few regions, but is rather a global act against humanity, with some countries having particularly high rates of trafficking.
2. Most Victims Are Women and Girls
Most victims of human trafficking are women and girls who are exploited for sex work.
3. It’s A Billion-Dollar Industry
Human trafficking is an “industry” that reportedly rakes in hundreds of billions of dollars globally each year.
4. Migrants Are Susceptible to Trafficking
Migrants who come into a country newly are usually susceptible to trafficking, particularly if it is illegal migration.
5. Certain Major Corporations Employ Child Labor
A handful of major global companies benefit from child labor. Some of these companies include Nestle and Nike, among others.
Why World Day Against Trafficking in Persons Is Important
· It Creates Awareness About Human Trafficking
The World Day Against Trafficking in Persons helps bring the attention of many to the issue of human trafficking. It also raises the issue of how we can tackle it in our own way.
· It Leads to New Ideas for Solutions
Observing the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons keeps the conversation going as to new solutions to the issue of human trafficking. See what kind of conversation you can start amongst your peers about human trafficking.
· It’s An Opportunity to Embrace Victims
The World Day Against Trafficking in Persons allows us to extend grace to victims of human trafficking through donations, for example. Take this day as an opportunity to embrace and help a victim and learn about their struggle.
Closing Statement and Recap:
Human trafficking can involve men, women, children, and persons with disabilities. However, most cases involve women and girls, for sexual exploitation, and children for cheap child labor. Individuals with disabilities are particularly vulnerable to human trafficking. Human trafficking has also been linked to the theft of government benefits, such as SSI, and SSDI. Theft and exploitation have played a role in several cases prosecuted by federal authorities. A federal RICO indictment in Pennsylvania charged a woman and four co-defendants with labor and sex trafficking. The conspirators held six adults with intellectual disabilities in forced labor and sexual slavery for years, even forcing some of them to have children. It was stated that targeted individuals with disabilities who were estranged from their families, convincing them to move into the home of the defendants. Once they did so, the defendants became their “Representative Payee,” stealing the victims’ Social Security, other benefits, and provided limited food for survival.
Source of Information: Various Google Searches
Until Next Week, Stay Safe and Well!
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