Introducing Soroptimist International’s New Position Papers on Human Trafficking and Child, Early and Forced Marriage
Our Where We Stand Position Papers serve as a cornerstone of the Soroptimist International commitment to advocating for the rights of women and girls worldwide, providing a clear articulation of our stance on critical global issues. These papers not only outline the pressing challenges women and girls face but also offer actionable solutions to address them. Today, we are pleased to introduce two new position papers on Human Trafficking and Child, Early and Forced Marriage and Unions (CEFMU). These comprehensive documents provide insights into the scale and impact of these issues, explore their underlying drivers, and highlight our recommendations for achieving meaningful change.
Together, these papers reaffirm our dedication to empowering women and girls, creating a world where they can thrive free from violence, exploitation, and inequality. Below, we offer a closer look at these position papers and the urgent need for global action.
Human Trafficking: A Global Crisis
Women and girls are disproportionately affected by human trafficking, enduring physical, sexual, and psychological violence, including forced labour, sexual exploitation, and trafficking for organ removal. Human trafficking is a modern form of slavery, with an estimated 27 million victims globally as of 2024. It is also the second most lucrative illicit crime in the world, generating approximately USD 236 billion annually.
Our position paper underscores the urgent need to address the gendered dimensions of human trafficking, identifying poverty, armed conflict, and climate change as key factors exacerbating vulnerabilities. It highlights the role of technology in enabling trafficking, such as online platforms being used for recruitment and exploitation, and calls for stronger safeguards and accountability from technology companies.
Critically, our paper emphasises a survivor-centred, gender-responsive approach to combating trafficking. This includes addressing root causes, improving detection and support mechanisms, and working collaboratively across sectors to dismantle trafficking networks. Tackling this complex issue requires global cooperation and a commitment to justice and human rights.
Read the full position paper on Human Trafficking here.
Child, Early and Forced Marriage and Unions (CEFMU): A Barrier to Equality
Our position paper highlights how CEFMU perpetuates cycles of poverty and inequality, disproportionately impacting girls by limiting their access to education, health, and economic opportunities. Globally, 650 million women and girls were married before the age of 18. This harmful practice, deeply rooted in gender inequality, poverty, and lack of access to education, violates the fundamental human rights of girls and undermines their future prospects.
CEFMU is defined as a marriage or union where at least one party is under 18 or where consent is coerced or absent. Our paper also addresses informal unions, which often leave girls without legal protection and expose them to similar risks as formal child marriages. The consequences of CEFMU are severe and far-reaching, including early pregnancy, school dropout, and long-term health complications. Beyond the individual impacts, CEFMU sustains structural gender inequalities and imposes significant social and economic costs, with an estimated global loss of USD 30 trillion in lifetime productivity due to missed education.
To eradicate CEFMU, our paper calls for comprehensive, multi-sectoral approaches. These include ensuring access to quality education, reforming legal frameworks to set the minimum marriage age at 18, and implementing community-based programmes to challenge harmful norms. We also stress the importance of empowering girls with knowledge about their rights and actively engaging men and boys as allies in the fight against this practice.
Read the full position paper on CEFMU here.
A Call to Action
These position papers are part of Soroptimist International’s unwavering commitment to ending violence and exploitation against women and girls. By addressing the root causes of these issues and championing survivor-centred solutions, we aim to create a more just and equitable future. We call on governments, civil society, businesses, and individuals to join us in this mission. Through collective action, we can break the cycles of exploitation and inequality, ensuring that women and girls everywhere are empowered to realise their full potential.
We invite you to read these papers in full and take action today. Together, we can make a difference.