July 30th is a day declared to raise awareness of the situation regarding human trafficking, the protection of human rights and encourages involvement to inspire action to stop the crime.
A form of modern slavery you didn't know about:
Millions of people every year fall into the hands of traffickers, coerced into sexual exploitation, forced labor, domestic servitude, forced begging and stealing, and even compelled to sell organs. This a is a $32 billion per year enterprise that is on the rise on an alarming level around the world. In fact, it’s the world’s largest third international crime industry behind illegal drugs and arms trafficking. Approximately 300,000 Americans under the age of 18 years old are lured into the commercial sex trade on an annual basis.
Traffickers use violence, threats, deception, debt slavery, and other manipulative tactics to force people to engage labor or services against their very own will.
While it is impossible to accurately account the total number of victims, an estimated 21 million people are reported to engage in forced labor globally, according to the International Labor Organization. The problem with human trafficking is that the victims are silenced.
· The average cost of a slave is $90
· 68% are trapped in forced labor
· 26% are children, average age is 11 to 14
· 55% are women and girls
· 2 million children are subjected to prostitution in the global commercial sex trade (UNICEF)
· Average life span on a victim reported to be 7 years, found dead from attack, abuse, HIV or STDs, malnutrition, overdose or suicide
· 140 countries have criminalized sex and labor trafficking since year 2000 under Palermo Protocol to fight human trafficking, but an alarming 29 countries have not joined
Despite violating international standards, the US Department of Labor identified 139 goods from 75 countries made by forced and child.
This includes: Bricks, diamonds, carpet, coal, garlic, garments, sugarcane, granite, shrimp, Christmas decorations, fireworks and more. Some children are forced to work in mining, where they do not receive proper equipment. It puts them at risk for injuries and long-term health issues.
“Poverty does not justify human trafficking.
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Let’s talk about modern day slavery for a minute.
Thailand is repeatedly in the spotlight for violating human right laws in its $7 billion-dollar seafood export industry. It’s not uncommon to hear children kidnapped and recruited into forced labor, peeling shrimp by hand in long, intensive hours for pennies a day. Others responded to ads that boasted attractive earnings with provided housing and an opportunity to work in Thailand. Little do they know, they are tricked into repaying the cost of travel, with unreasonable wages that makes it impossible to pay off this debt and all the meanwhile, threatened for their lives and family members. In 2005, over 2,000 men were freed as a result of an ongoing investigation into slavery in Thailand.
Why access to education is important.
Not exactly the same, but I'm reminded of a story my mother told me a recently that she would head home after school to a small village in Taiwan, where she saw her great aunts tirelessly assemble Christmas decorations by hand. Of course at the time, they had absolutely no idea what it was for and where they were going. She would occasionally help and was rewarded with food. They earned less than a dollar to produce hundreds of pieces per day. Now, her great-aunt's generation never had the privilege to continue their education due to the war, they were poor, and that as part of the culture, boys were simply more valued than girls. They never had a chance because they did not have access to education.
Final facts.
1 of 6 endangered runaways reported to the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children were likely child sex trafficking victims. And of those, 86% were in the care of social services or foster care when they ran. 1/3 teens on the street will be lured into prostitution within 48 hours of leaving home. A pimp can make up to $200,000 each year with an average of 4-6 girls.
It was also surprising to find that California harbors 3 of the FBI’s 13 highest child sex trafficking areas in the nation: Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego.
What can we do to address child and forced labor?
First off, know that the US imported over $35B in seafood products in 2015 supplied by: China, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Canada, and Ecuador. US. Custom records show the shrimp has made its way to Wal-Mart, Kroger, Whole Foods, Dollar General, Petco, Red Lobster and Olive Garden. Secondly, always choose food products made domestically. Always check country of origin label on the package and ask your restaurant where the seafood is sourced from. https://www.ap.org/explore/seafood-from-slaves/
Make your voice heard and the companies you buy from and invest in. Demand to know what the government is doing to combat this very serious issue. Also show your support for businesses who are working to end child labor and abuse. Continue to learn, follow up and take action. Read more about child labor and forced labor here: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/reports/child-labor