National Human Trafficking Awareness Day

 "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. The true neighbor will risk his position, his prestige and even his life for the welfare of others." -- Strength to Love (1963) 

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Today, January 11, 2012, is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day.  Please read the facts listed below.  In my opinion, this is the most important human rights issue of our day and it is our duty to fight this injustice.   

Human trafficking is a modern-day form of slavery in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such an act is under the age of 18 years.

1. The average cost of a slave around the world is $90.
2. Trafficking primarily involves exploitation which comes in many forms, including: 
1. Forcing victims into prostitution
2. Subjecting victims to slavery or involuntary servitude
3. Compelling victims to commit sex acts for the purpose of creating pornography
4. Misleading victims into debt bondage
3. According to some estimates, approximately 80% of trafficking involves sexual exploitation, and 19% involves labor exploitation.
4. It is estimated that there are approximately 27 million slaves around the world.
5. 68% of female sex trafficking victims meet the clinical criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder.
6. Around half of trafficking victims in the world are under the age of 18.
7. More than 2/3 of sex trafficked children suffer additional abuse at the hands of their traffickers.
8. Trafficked children are significantly more likely to develop mental health problems, abuse substances, engage in prostitution as adults, and either commit or be victimized by violent crimes later in life.
9. Women who have been trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation experience a significantly higher rate of HIV and other STDs, tuberculosis, and permanent damage to their reproductive systems. 
10. There is only one shelter in the U.S. designed specifically to meet the needs of trafficking victims, and it currently only houses a total of seven to nine victims.
11. Trafficking victims normally don't get help because they think that they or their families will be hurt by their traffickers, or that they will be deported.  (from www.dosomething.org) 

If you would like to make a difference in the State of South Carolina, please visit Doors to Freedom (by clicking on the logo below) to make a donation.