Human Trafficking Happens Everywhere: How You Can Stop It

Slavery still exists. Today’s form of slavery typically comes through human trafficking, where individuals are bought, sold or traded as commodities. Human trafficking exists under two major umbrellas: labor trafficking and sex trafficking. These umbrellas make up the over 100,000 international trafficking victims from 2019 - and those were only in cases that were reported and/or investigated.

In 2013, the United Nations established July 30th as the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. This day serves to bring awareness to the plights trafficking victims face and encourage individuals to get involved in eradicating the phenomenon. Human trafficking exists in every country - here are some things you can do to fight it.

1. Educate Yourself… Then Educate Others.

One of the best ways you can fight human trafficking is through education. When people are knowledgeable on subjects, they can use that knowledge to erect change. When it comes to human trafficking, knowing the signs, laws and even the reporting process can provide assistance to someone who might be trafficked. Many educational resources exist concerning human trafficking - from videos to books to websites, you can find practically every tool you need to learn about human trafficking from the UN and its partners. After you’ve taken the time to educate yourself, educate others! Make a post on social media asking your friends to read a news article about trafficking. Text your friends and ask them to view a video about trafficking. Contact your local and state level officials to request they learn more about the topic. Education is a great tool, so use it!

2. Donate to Funds that Focus on Human Trafficking.

There are many funds both local and international that you can donate to as a way to fight human trafficking. For many of these organizations, they run solely on donations from individuals, other organizations or through grant funds. Put your money where your mouth is and donate! The UN runs multiple financial campaigns that assist victims of human trafficking and their families, including the Blue Heart Campaign and the Trust Fund for Human Trafficking Victims. Research local anti-trafficking organizations in your area to request information on donations, then make a donation and ask your friends and family to do the same!

3. Call on Your Local Officials to Prosecute Human Trafficking.

Whether on the local, state or federal level, your government officials can hear your requests to prosecute human trafficking cases. Research what the laws are within your locality, and determine which officials you will need to speak with. Human trafficking is directly tied to the drug trade and immigration laws, which your elected officials can sit on respective committees within the government that address those issues. You can send a letter or email, give them a call or message them on social media. Taking a stance on protecting victims of human trafficking isn’t political, so you should contact your officials and request they do their part.

4. Volunteer with Local Organizations

Locate the local organizations in your area that provide services to victims of trafficking or advocate for better resources for survivors of trafficking. Ask them about their volunteer needs - typically, you can volunteer to serve in the shelters, organize fundraisers or help collect donations. Involve the family or your friends and make it a weekly activity for you all!

5. Know Where You Shop.

Did you know that some products, such as clothes or produce from the grocery store, could be made with trafficking labor? You can look up different product categories by country to see whether they’re made by forced labor using the Department of Labor’s list. While this list doesn’t include specific brands, you can look at your products to see where the ‘product made in’ label is to determine whether it might have been made by forced labor.

6. Stay Up to Date.

Make sure you’re staying up-to-date with information related to trafficking by following different organizations and news outlets on social media. Each year, the US Department of State drafts the Trafficking in Persons Report, which details updated information regarding countries and how they address trafficking. One of the best things about the report is how it divides each country into different tiers based on their trafficking response. Then, it goes into regions so you can see patterns globally. Finally, it highlights each country to explain in depth how/why they received their tier rating. The trafficking report allows individuals to view countries’ responses to the Trafficking Victims’ Protection Act, which serves as the US’ anti-trafficking legislation. Staying in-the-know about trafficking laws, stories, cases and news is one of the best ways you can fight modern day slavery.