Human Trafficking

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Three survivors fighting to end modern-day slavery

Many people assume that slavery is a shameful relic of the past — but right now, there are an estimated 50 million people trapped in modern-day slavery worldwide. Human trafficking is a multibillion-dollar business built off the back-breaking labor and sexual exploitation of men, women and children. Partners like International Justice Mission (IJM) work with local authorities to rescue victims of human trafficking, provide the aftercare they need to rebuild their lives and pursue justice that will prevent this violence from happening again. Centering the voices of those who have lived through it is critical to end human trafficking and…

Human trafficking: A worldwide humanitarian issue

Human trafficking is often a difficult topic to talk about – and even more challenging for those working to end human trafficking every day. There are more than 40 million human trafficking victims worldwide, including men, women and children trapped in forms of modern slavery: from forced labor to sexual exploitation. Human trafficking occurs in nearly every country around the globe stemming from both in-person and online targeting.

Women gather for their weekly savings meeting

How you can help in the fight against human trafficking

Human trafficking is one of the hardest international relief and development causes to talk about. The crime has been documented in 148 countries, and includes forced sexual exploitation, labor, involuntary marriage, organ trade and more. An estimated 40.3 million people are trafficked each year, and roughly a third of those are children under the age of 18. While some hoped that restricted travel during the COVID-19 pandemic would reduce trafficking, our charity partners fear the opposite – technology has helped move trafficking further underground, and limited government capacity makes it harder for local officials to reach and save victims. This…

Help end modern slavery with your buying power

You might be surprised to learn that tens of millions of people around the world are enslaved. I was. Yes, slavery has been outlawed, but it has not been eliminated. And, unfortunately you and I could be supporting slave labor without even knowing it. The items we regularly purchase can so easily come from a corrupt supply chain. Free the Slaves is working to fix that. The chain from slave to store Modern slavery, or new slavery, is hidden in a way that old enslavement was not. Unlike the slavery we read about in our history books, forced labor is…

Test your knowledge of human trafficking and World Relief

Human trafficking, which includes forced labor and sexual exploitation, is far more widespread than many realize. It is an industry that brings in about $115 billion annually with an estimated 40.3 million victims globally. Thanks to the work of organizations like World Relief, a Global Impact charity alliance partner, the issue is not being ignored. World Relief is an organization that mobilizes and equips local churches and communities to not only combat slavery and human trafficking, but to help heal and rehabilitate survivors. Test your knowledge about human trafficking and some of the shocking statistics. Then learn about the work…

Images

Title: Celebration
Charity: Alight (formerly American Refugee Committee)
Country: El Salvador
Photo Credit: Jon Atwell/ Alight

Nuns and teachers stand in front of a newly painted mural.

Title: A Rally for Survivors
Charity: ECPAT-USA
Country: United States of America
Photo Credit: ECPAT-USA

ECPAT-USA proudly joined A Rally for Survivors in Solidarity with the Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell Survivors. This was a day of community and healing for all survivors and a demand for justice and transparency. To learn more about ECPAT-USA’s work, visit www.ecpatusa.org.

Title: 2021 Freedom Awards
Charity: ECPAT-USA
Country: United States of America
Photo Credit: ECPAT-USA

Each year, the Freedom Awards gathers advocates, influencers, private industry partners, and other special guests to honor leaders in the fight to end child trafficking and other forms of sexual exploitation. In 2021, we were proud to gather virtually to honor Chip Rogers, President & CEO of the American Hotel & Lodging Association; Tina Frundt, President & Founder of Courtney’s House; and Rose Muckenthaler, NYPD/FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. Watch ECPAT-USA’s full Freedom Awards benefit at www.ecpatusa.org/freedomawards. Learn more about ECPAT-USA’s child protection work at www.ecpatusa.org/.

Title: ECPAT-USA’s Guide to Online Safety
Charity: ECPAT-USA
Country: United States of America
Photo Credit: ECPAT-USA

ECPAT-USA provides free information for youth, parents/guardians, and educators detailing the ways they can protect themselves and their children from sexual exploitation. Each safety guide is available for free online and can be easily downloaded and shared with others. Guides are available in English, Spanish, Chinese, and Vietnamese. View ECPAT-USA’s Online Safety Guides by visiting www.ecpatusa.org/onlinesafetytips.

Title: Dismantling Online Exploitation of Children
Charity: ECPAT-USA
Country: United States of America
Photo Credit: ECPAT-USA

January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month. To honor this special month, ECPAT-USA was proud to host a panel, “Dismantling Online Exploitation of Children,” with other leaders in the anti-trafficking and children’s rights communities. Together, the collective goal is to spearhead federal legislation that will require internet platforms to take steps toward the elimination of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), formerly called “child pornography.”

Title: 2021 Survivor Solidarity Ride
Charity: ECPAT-USA
Country: United States of America
Photo Credit: ECPAT-USA

Each year, the Survivor Solidarity Ride brings awareness to the reality that child trafficking is happening in every state in the nation. This ride highlights locations where survivors have indicated they were trafficked and where there have been reports of child exploitation. In doing so, it symbolizes ECPAT-USA’s solidarity with the brave men and women in its Survivors’ Council and celebrates their leadership in ECPAT-USA’s prevention programming. In 2020, ECPAT-USA rode through New York City. In 2021, as celebration of the launch of Brentwood School District Prevention Services Program, ECPAT-USA rode through Suffolk County, New York. Learn more about ECPAT-USA’s work by visiting our website at www.ecpatusa.org.

Title: Child Labor in Fishing Industries
Charity: Free the Slaves
Country: Ghana
Photo Credit: Emily Teague // Free the Slaves

Captured image of a young boy trapped in forced labor in a local fishing community.

Title: Survivors Reunited
Charity: Free the Slaves
Country: Ghana
Photo Credit: Emily Teague / Free The Slaves

Seen here is a young boy that was trafficked in the fishing industry. Free The Slaves was able to rescue and reunite the survivor with his family.

Title: Stop Slavery at its Source
Charity: Free the Slaves
Country: Haiti
Photo Credit: Lily Bivins / Free The Slaves

Do you know why slavery persists in the 21st century? Poverty. Many children and young adults from impoverished families are lured into servitude by traffickers who offer cash payments and a promise to teach valuable skills. Instead, they are overworked, mistreated, and underfed. Many are beaten. Their rights are ignored. Vulnerable populations often lack the tools and education to protect themselves from traffickers.

Videos

Success Stories

FREE THE SLAVES: “I still have hope in my 50’s…”

Last year Free The Slaves joined HopeBox, an NGO based in Vietnam, to serve survivors of domestic abuse and slavery. While working in the city of Hanoi, Free The Slaves and Hope Box had the privilege of meeting Tina*. This is Tina’s story of overcoming fear and finding freedom with FTS. All the abuse started when her husband accused Tina of seeing another man. This later turned into constant accusations and heated arguments that resulted in physical and sexual abuse. Oftentimes, when she refused to follow her husband’s sexual demands, he became violent toward her. At the height of the pandemic, her husband forced her to work for various employers doing house chores. Her husband would collect the money for every task she finished directly from her employers. After work, she needed to go home right away to serve her husband and learned that she must not set her foot…

PLAN INTERNATIONAL USA: New friends lending a hand in the fight against trafficking

We know that knowledge is power. And when it comes to child trafficking, it’s the strongest weapon girls and communities possess to protect themselves from traffickers. But how do you educate girls about such a serious and frightening subject?

INDIA PARTNERS: Neesha rescued from a life of sex slavery

Nisha at the age of 13 was given in marriage to an older man who regularly abused her. Soon after the marriage they had a daughter and the cycle of abuse continued. Disappointed, angry, and blaming Nisha for giving him a daughter instead of a son, her husband threw them out. Nisha was young, alone, and trying to provide for herself and her daughter. That made her a perfect target for working the red-light district. Nisha worked in the sex trade, believing she had to do it to survive. Through a dental camp, Nisha got connected with our partners in India. A relationship was established and nurtured. Through mentoring Nisha began to believe that she could dream of a better future for her and her daughter. Our programs were about to give them financial freedom and gave her a way out. They were given them food, clothes, housing, and an…

Free the Slaves - 19 Survivors Returned to Families in Nigeria

FREE THE SLAVES: 19 Human Trafficking Survivors Returned to Their Families

As New Year’s celebrations began to fade around the world, Free the Slaves and our partners in Senegal and Nigeria worked hard to help 19 women and children freed from severe sex trafficking in Senegal return to their families in Nigeria.

ECPAT-USA: The Value of ECPAT-USA’s Human Trafficking Training

ECPAT-USA partners with the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) to administer an e-learning program on human trafficking training for all members of staff of participating hotels and hospitality companies. In October 2022, Brad Schumacher, VP of Strategic Partnerships of Encore, who had completed this training, boarded United Airlines flight UA221, and helped to change a life; based on the knowledge about the indicators of human trafficking that he had acquired.

ECPAT-USA: ECPAT-USA’s Youth Against Child Trafficking Classroom Story

ECPAT-USA’s Youth Against Child Trafficking (Y-ACT) program empowers youth to take the lead in anti-human trafficking efforts. ECPAT-USA trains students to be the foremost advocates in their communities and among their peers, educating them on the facts, misconceptions, and risks of trafficking. Students are provided the tools needed to identify the warning signs and proper resources to protect themselves and their peers. During one early morning workshop, the education team saw a student transition from avoiding the workshop altogether to becoming an active participant and advocate by the end. Prior to the class session, the Y-ACT educators positioned the chairs in a semicircle at the center of the room. At the start of the period, instead of sitting in the semicircle with the rest of their classmates, this student opted to find a seat behind a desk in the back left corner of the room. When handing out the pre-workshop…

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