Human Trafficking Awareness Day

Today is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. This is an issue that breaks my heart and I want to do my part to abolish modern day slavery and the first step is awareness.

Here are some facts copied directly from StopChildTraffickingNow.com

• Child/Human Trafficking is one of the fastest growing crimes in the world. Child/ human trafficking is the world’s second largest criminal enterprise, after drugs. U.S. State Department
• The global market of child trafficking at over $12 billion a year with over 1.2 million child victims. UNICEF
• 300,000 children in the U.S. are at risk every year for commercial sexual exploitation. U.S. Department of Justice
• 600,000 – 800,000 people are bought and sold across international borders each year; 50% are children, most are female. The majority of these victims are forced into the commercial sex trade.  U.S. Department of State, 2004, Trafficking in Persons Report, Washington, D.C.
• An estimated 14,500 to 17,500 foreign nationals are trafficked into the United States each year. The number of U.S. citizens trafficked within the country is even higher, with an estimated 200,000 American children at risk for trafficking into the sex industry. U.S. Department of Justice Report to Congress from Attorney General John Ashcroft on U.S. Government Efforts to Combat Trafficking in Persons

Pretty jaw-dropping. You can get more statistics here.

I really want to encourage you to learn more about this issue today and increase your awareness. FreeTheSlaves.net has some really good educational resources. If anything, check out Slavery in the 21st Century.

"whoever you are
whatever you do
you have something to offer"
- not for sale website

Thanks for you time!