Human Trafficking/Modern Day Slavery is global human rights violation impacting 4-6 million people annually – 71% of them women and girls, and is considered by traffickers as an easy way to make money – low risk, and a renewable resource.

Although not exclusively a crime that impacts women and girls, it does stand as a type of violence against women – often denounced as a silent and hidden pandemic. During the past 25 years it has exponentially grown, influenced by the internet, global internal and transnational population movement. Estimated to be a $150 billion dollar Industry annually, Human Trafficking causes women and girls irrevocable iharm – mentally and physically, a heinous and devastating practice defined as force, fraud, coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage or slavery.

Change will only happen if  efforts are made in Prevention (Education to all);  Protection (local police resources and safe residences); Prosecution (implementation of laws with severe consequences to traffickers and perpetrators); Partnership (intersectional involvement of all elements of public entities and civil society working together); and, Policy (Development and implementation of policies for all of the other areas). It is imperative that civil society be a part of the Aaction force in the work to eradicate Human Slavery and mitigate effects.

Soroptimist International has been involved in projects and advocacy since 1995 – and have faced their own learning curve – debating terminologies and topics, many approaching projects through a three-fold process embracing Awareness, Advocacy and Action. Soroptimists implement projects to empower women and girls through education and resources with a view of increasing social and economical status.

A early project relating to this topic can be seen in the quadrennial project launched in 1995-1999 biennium: SIAM- which stood for Soroptimist International AIDS Mediation in Thailand, where girls were empowered with skills and education to help redirect them away from being trafficked into the commercial sex industry. A further highly successful project was in 1999 Soroptimists Stop Trafficking Project,  a two-pronged approach supporting education in Russia, and resources in India. Since these two projects were implemented – Soroptimist federations, regions, unions, and clubs worldwide continue to establish a variety of projects and programmes aimed at changing laws and mindsets in their country, county etc., and develop awareness programmes and large scale social media campaigns, joining coalitions with other agencies and organisations, developing residential programmes, and providing scholarships or monetary awards, to assist survivors and survivor groups to further education and empowerment.

Further notes:

Root Causes of this inequity include:

· Gender inequality- gendered poverty, lack of viable employment, control over finances etc

· Gender based violence and cultural norms that normalize such violence

· Discriminatory labour or migration laws and gender blind policies

· Conflict, post-conflict settings and humanitarian crisis

· Impacts of climate change

Impact on women and girls (recent statistics)

· 71% Trafficked persons are women and girls

· Females represent 96% of victims trafficked for sexual exploitation

· Women are recruited for decent work, then find themselves in forced prostitution

· Fraudulent recruitment practices lead to exploitation at the place of employment including wage theft and debt bondage

· Daughters are sold into child marriage by their own parents due to extreme poverty

· Women are sent to do domestic work, employers keep their identification papers and they be-come domestic worker slaves

· Terrorist groups kidnap girls and women, making them ‘wives’ and sell them as slaves.

 

What We Can Do

· Become educated on the issue of Human Trafficking – find out what is being done in your own community, state, region and country

· Join Coalitions of support and partner with other agencies and survivor groups or survivors themselves, law enforcement, judicial system, and others providing services to trafficked persons or those at risk.

· Do research agencies providing services before you support them to ensure that their practices are ethical, inclusive of survivor input, reflect current best practice and are inclusive (do not dis-criminate), and run parallel to the overall vision, mission and principles of Soroptimist International

· Advocate for laws and services to Prevent, Protect, Prosecute and create Policies through partnerships, including providing education and necessary resources in all areas for survivors (education, health, employment, residential, childcare, transportation etc.,)

· Provide prevention programmes to girls that give them promote confidence, self worth, resiliency, dealing with obstacles and tools for becoming independent and self sufficient

· Support Educational events to promote awareness and create action opportunities

· Identify ‘unmet needs’ and advocate/develop resources

· Ensure that all programmes include outcome data and analysis

by Dawn Marie Lemonds