What Is Human Trafficking?
When we think of slavery, we tend to think of it as a horror of the past and not as something in the present. However, what if slavery is called by a different name today? Today slavery is better known as human trafficking. So, what exactly is human trafficking?
Human trafficking is the modern form of slavery in which vulnerable people are forced to perform labor or sexual acts by their perpetrators through the use of or threat of force, coercion, or fraud. Some of the main forms of human trafficking today include sex trafficking, forced marriage, loan-sharking-based indentured labor, and forced criminalization. These types of trafficking are widespread across the world and involve traffickers kidnapping, controlling, and enslaving victims. The traffickers then use violence or the threat of violence, drugs, deprivation, and rape to both control and condition the victims, inhibit their victims from escaping or seeking help.
Trafficking victims are often refugees, displaced individuals, or come from poor, minority, or other vulnerable communities who are specifically targeted by traffickers. Each year, the United States Department of State releases a Trafficking in Persons Report, which updates data and trends in human trafficking marking countries that have slipped or made progress from the previous year. The 2021 report also includes the impact of COVID-19 on trends in trafficking with even more individuals becoming vulnerable to trafficking due to the economic hardships created by the pandemic.
One of the best ways to combat vulnerability to human trafficking is by expanding educational opportunities for everyone around the world, which will help people break the cycle of poverty and find legitimate job options. At Tiyara, we believe education should be accessible and affordable for all, especially to help decrease the likelihood of individuals being drawn into human trafficking. We provide educational opportunities that will make life-changing differences for under-resourced young women and men in India, equipping them to pursue professional and skilled employment. You can help make a difference by providing technology for our students, putting a deserving young person through college, or by applying for our new Marketing and Communications Volunteer Opportunity today!