Survivors have their voices heard at the UN

Equally worthy news sources Time Magazine and FMF blogger Kat have been getting buzz going: the recession has brought with it an increase in human trafficking, particularly in cases of child sex trafficking.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that 12.3 million people are being trafficked at any given time, with that number mostly being compiled of women and girls.

In response to this dangerous snowballing threat to safety, the UN responded with a series of recently-held hearings specifically on the issue. Truth be told, this is not the first time human trafficking has been brought up in the halls of the UN; its an issue they've been grappling with for quite some time. It is, however, the first time the UN has approached the topic by putting the specialists to the side and the spotlight on survivors. The results were fascinating.


Heart-wrenching stories were shared from all walks of life from Rachel Lloyd (who founded the non-profit GEMS after escaping her own forced sexual exploitation horror story) to Charlotte Awino of Uganda (who was imprisoned 8 years by Ugandan rebels at the age of 14,) Buddhi Gurung of Nepal (who, unlike many, survived being duped by a false work ad, having his passport confiscated and forced to work in a war-zone) and Kikka Cerpa of Venezuela (who was taken to NYC by her boyfriend, under the guise of being a nanny, only to get sold into his family's brothel.)

While the stories came from different corners of the globe, they oozed of the same plea: these people are victims and the official world needs to start seeing them as victims.

In all cases, there was an opportunity for action that was not taken. Awino explained when found by authorities, people in her situation are often mistaken as compliant terrorists, and treated as such. Cerpa reported the multiple times the police raided her brothel, either to demand sex or to arrest the workers. Each time, she was denied the aid she needed because it was never assumed that she was there against her will. Gurung is currently suing the US government (specifically the federal contractors KRB) for human trafficking and is still shocked that in his many encounters with officials, it was always assumed he was a voluntary immigrant worker, even though his papers did not match.

UN Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons Joy Ngozi Ezeilo emphasized penalizing the guilty, not the victims, pushing for stronger law enforcement in each country and financial compensation for the victims.

Reminding those in the hearing of shared humanity, Ezeilo closed by saying "it will be irresponsible if we fail to act. We are humans and we should not support inhuman action...The slave trade has been abolished and we can't accept that in our world today.""

photo credit: mvcorks on flickr.com

HUMAN TRAFFICKING: OVERLOOKED?

Human trafficking is often disregarded in conversation about major national issues. Americans seem to view it as an issue of foreign and under developed countries when, according to Citizens Against Human Trafficking, it is actually the 3rd largest and greatest flourishing criminal industry globally.

In fact, the official web resource to combat human trafficking proposes that approximately 14,500 to 17,500 people (disproportionately women and children) fall victim to trafficking every year.

Some people do not pay particular attention to it because they do not understand the full scope of human rights violations human trafficking includes. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime defines it as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, and of the abuse of power for the purpose of exploitation.

This exploitation consists of illegal prostitution and mail-order brides, forced labor and slavery, and the unlawful international adoption of children as well as forcing them to be child soldiers.

So, how can you visibly indicate whether someone has been trafficked? Glad you asked! The victims of human trafficking are sometimes characterized by malnutrition, dehydration, bad hygiene, STDs, signs of physical and sexual abuse, post-traumatic stress syndrome and other psychological disorders.

They also may live with their employer, have little or no pocket money, always be escorted by another person, not be allowed to have a private conversation with any individual, and not carry any form of identification or legal documents. Human trafficking organizations are usually disguised as brothels, escort services, message parlors, adult book stores, modeling studios, day cares, construction sites where public access is denied, domestic situations (i.e. nannies and maids), and commercial agriculture fields and processing plants.

If you think you know someone who has been trafficked or of a trafficking organization disguised as something else, please contact the Trafficking in Persons and Worker Exploitation Task Force Complaint Line at 1-888-428-7581. Together we can change the world.

image courtesy of flick.com