Human Sex Trafficking: Modern Day Slavery

This particular blog is something I have been wanting to make for a while and kind of the reason I started a blog in the first place.

For the past few months I have been researching all kinds of information on Human Sex Trafficking through every source of media available to me and it has lit something in my heart.  So to start, this is my way of informing the public about something that isn’t entirely known about, especially here in the United States.

Now let me be 100% clear about my intentions. I am not going to be spewing crap numbers at you because we all know that they are not accurate nor will I be rattling on about my opinions or beliefs on the matter, that is an entirely new post; I just want to share what I have learned on this particular issue. If something is not clear or correct, please feel free to let me know.

---

Traditionally women have been treated as a commodity to be bartered or sold. As far as we have come in the advance of women’s rights/human rights, there is still this lingering cloud of human abuse that is covering the whole world.

Human trafficking has come to replace the term slave trade. As a society today we do not like to use  nor acknowledge the word slave as if it is still prevalent today, unfortunately this cannot be further from the truth.

I am going to throw some definitions your way so this becomes a tad easier to digest.

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Human Trafficking is defined as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force. Human Smuggling is the act of assisting or facilitating, often for a fee, the unauthorized entry of a foreign nation into another country. I mention this not in context of immigration problems but because this is commonly part of the practice that human traffickers use to transport their ‘cargo’.  Prostitution is the practice or occupation of engaging in sexual activity with someone for payment.

Causes of Human Sex Trafficking?

The greed of criminals cause human trafficking. Period. No human deserves to be sold for work or sex, ever. With that being said there are certain risks for people to become vulnerable to human trafficking:

• poverty
• age
• gender
• nationality
• family life
• runaways
• lack of education

These criminals will lure in women and children in through false promises of work, marriage, a place to stay etc. in attempt to abduct them from their old life and force them into another halfway around the world.

Human trafficking can be virtually invisible if these criminals are smart about their business, and that alone is enough to keep their victims from ever reaching the help that they need.

Human Sex Trafficking is a Global Problem.

In the 20th century the United States joined the global outcry in sharing the problem of human trafficking.

Trafficking in persons has been documented in 175 nations, Asia having the highest number of known trafficking groups that publicly advertise and traffic women and adolescents.

As disgusting as it sounds, human trafficking can be seen as a growing business. There is a supply and demand, a market for selling people to other traffickers, and trade through different business (other illegal activity).

Let’s Talk Prostitution.

Prostitution is seems as the worlds longest standing occupation, starting since the beginning of time. And because of this human trafficking has since followed throughout history. In a dehumanizing market, millions of people assume that prostitution is just another sin of the world. They choose to ignore the fact that what underlies prostitution is exploitation, abuse, and the tremendous power or organized crime that is seen around the world at any size scale.

1. Street prostitution is what I assume that most people think of when given the word prostitution.  You will soon find that Pretty Women starring Julia Roberts is not a very good representation of this ‘industry’. This occupation is illegal everywhere in the United States and most of the world, with exceptions of various countries in Asia.
2. Brothel prostitution is legal only in the state of Nevada and in many other countries.
3. Escort (Call Girl) Services are also legal in Nevada and most of the world.

Countless of women who end of in prostitution were sold and forced into the life as a result of human trafficking. Those women who come in willingly in light of money problems or by choice, they are easily seduced into the glamorous world and find themselves trapped by pimps and violence, making it harder to leave the business with their life. This is where we, people who look in on this industry, make the worst assumptions about the girls life and how they managed to end up selling their body.

Ways to Help.

Polaris Project is a good place to start if you are of any interest in this matter. Polaris is the leader in global fight to end modern slavery and restore freedom to its survivors. You can sign up for the monthly newsletter, find ways to help in your community, and become an ambassador to stand against Human Trafficking.

Educating yourself and others is always the key to fully understanding what you want to stand up for.

All of this that you just read is the very basics of this horrendous crime and more could be explained about it. Essentially I would be writing a book instead of a blog post if I were to continue with everything I have learned this past month. There is so much more that I want to say and paragraphs that I cut out for the sake of sanity while reading this post. I will be posting more about Human Trafficking in the future if you are interested in learning more.

If you have any questions or suspicions of  illegal human trafficking happening around you there is a number you can contact at 1-888-373-7888 (National Human Trafficking Hotline). Please do not put yourself in harms way.

Sources:

Human Trafficking: A Global Perspective – Louise Shelley, 2010

Trafficking and Global Crime Control– Maggy Lee, 2011.

Human Trafficking: Exploring the International Nature, Concerns, and Complexities – CRC Press, Edited by John Winterdyk, Benjamin Perrin, and Philip Reichel, 2011.

Polaris- Sex Trafficking in the U.S

Polaris – Recognizing the Signs

Thanks for reading and God Bless.

2.2.5015