According to antislavery.org, Human trafficking involves the recruitment, harboring or transporting people into a situation of exploitation through the use of violence, deception or coercion and forced to work against their will. In other words, trafficking is a process of enslaving people, coercing them into a situation with no way out, and exploiting them.
People can be trafficked for many different forms of exploitation such as forced prostitution, labor, begging, criminality, domestic servitude, marriage, and organ removal.
Contrary to a common misconception, people don’t necessarily have to be transported across borders for trafficking to take place. In fact, transporting or moving the victim doesn’t necessarily define trafficking.
Many people who fall victim to trafficking want to escape poverty, improve their lives, and support their families. Often they get an offer of a well-paid job abroad or in another region. Often they borrow money from their traffickers in advance to pay for arranging the job, travel, and accommodation. When they arrive they find that the work they applied for does not exist, or the conditions are completely different. But it’s too late, their documents are often taken away and they are forced to work until their debt is paid off.
Human Trafficking is a $150 billion dollar industry with well over 20 million victims; 26% of those victims are children.
One of the scariest things about human trafficking is that it happens right in front of our eyes but many of us have no idea what to look for. For a full list of way to sight human trafficking, check out this very educational page.
If you think you’ve encountered a victim of human trafficking, call the NATIONAL HUMAN TRAFFICKING HOTLINE NUMBER:
1-888-3737-888
The creators of The Tote Project, Fay and Michelle, have continuously fought back against human trafficking by putting the workers FIRST. They partner up with only those who ensure no slavery exists in the supply chain and DEMAND ethical manufacturing. When businesses put a demand for better working conditions and better treatment of their workers, change DOES happen. When we, as consumers, support those who take these steps to secure a better future, WE are also demanding change!!
To top it all off, these women work with the outstanding organization Freeset Global, which is a fair trade business that offers employment to the survivors of the West Bengal’s sex trade. Through Freeset and The Tote Project, these brave women finally get what they deserve; fair wages, pension plans, occupational therapy, health insurance, and literary and budget lessons.
Every single worker on this planet deserves to be respected, paid fairly and work in a safe environment of their own free will. We must demand this.
