This Human Trafficking Awareness Month, we’re reminded of how many have been set free—and how many remain in bondage. Since 2009, it has been the privilege of The Rees-Jones Foundation to partner with organizations like International Justice Mission (IJM) who are on the frontlines equipping governments to eradicate this deplorable practice from our world. We appreciate the expertise of trusted nonprofits doing this crucial work and invite you to read this post created by IJM as they work to bring awareness about human trafficking this January. We are grateful so many have been rescued—but there are many more still waiting.
Around the world, an estimated 50 million children, women and men are held in slavery to work brutal labor in rock quarries, rice mills, brick kilns and brothels. The number of victims suffering could populate Australia twice.
*Source: International Labour Organization.
Every year, hundreds of thousands of children are trafficked for sex around the world. Traffickers often take advantage of vulnerable girls and boys, often promising them money and a proper job. In some instances, traffickers will trick families into giving up their young children in hopes of giving them a better future.
*Source: Global Estimates of Modern Slavery. A partnership between ILO, Walk Free Foundation, and IOM (2016).
Today, online sexual exploitation of children is on the rise. Online predators send payments in exchange for streaming the live, sexual abuse of children. It includes creating, possessing or distributing child sexual exploitation material like photos and videos. This isn’t limited to the exchange of explicit images. Girls and boys are forced to perform sex acts and are abused by an adult or are exploited in other violent ways.
*Source: Scale of Harm prevalence study by International Justice Mission (IJM) and the University of Nottingham Rights Lab.
Studies have shown that children and women who are trafficked are subjected to more violence than men. Children suffer violent acts at twice the rate. Whether abused by captors or working in dangerous and often deadly conditions, the threat of injury and violence is real. Together we can help end it.
* Source: United Nations Global Report on Trafficking in Persons.
Trafficking is a traumatic act of violence that can have long-term impact on survivors. With your help, IJM works to ensure our aftercare teams and partners are providing the very best care to each survivor we meet. We build strong partnerships that will help expand and scale world-class care across the globe. These partnerships are vital, because every survivor of violence deserves to have someone to walk alongside them on the path from trauma to restoration.
TRUTH #6The final truth is that we all can individually make an impact on human trafficking. In fact, when individuals partnered with IJM over the last three years, over 9,000 people were rescued from violence and oppression. That is the equivalent of one person rescued every hour! Imagine if more people worked with even more organizations to fight human trafficking. By partnering with organizations like these, we believe we can end trafficking and modern slavery for good.
To learn more, visit https://www.ijm.org/truths-trafficking
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