Human trafficking is a topic we are loath to discuss, but so important it can't be denied. Most people likely don’t know that the United Nations has designated July 30th as World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. In 2013 the General Assembly held a high level meeting to address and implement a global plan of action to reduce trafficking worldwide and adopted a resolution that included World Day in order to raise awareness of the issue. (Read more about it here: http://www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/RES/68/192)
If you’ve perused our website and read some of our other blog entries you know that human trafficking is one of the issues we are most passionate about at Women’s Peace Collection. Our Freedom Collection, consisting of jewelry handmade by survivors, is rapidly expanding as we find more and more beautiful products and organizations working to eliminate trafficking across the globe.
So what exactly is human trafficking?
Human trafficking is most often described as a form of modern day slavery where human beings are exploited for profit. The most common forms include sexual exploitation and forced labor. There are millions of people trafficked worldwide annually and it is estimated that 71% are women and many are young children. Families in impoverished areas are often tricked into believing that there are employment opportunities for their children in the city. They send off their daughters in hope of a better future, not knowing that these young women are then taken into prostitution where they have little avenue for escape. Yes, unfortunately slavery does exist in the modern world, including in the United States.
Hope for the future
But there is hope as many organizations around the world are committed to eliminating this horrendous human rights issue. Organizations such as International Sanctuary, Starfish Project and Her Future Coalition, as well as numerous others, are devoted to rescuing women and teaching them crafts in order to prevent them from future trafficking situations. (We sell jewelry made by women in all 3 organizations).
What we are doing to help
At Women’s Peace Collection we are committed to doing our part in reducing human trafficking. We believe that empowering survivors by creating a market for their handicrafts is the best way we can help prevent them from being trafficked in the future. If the women have a means to becoming independent and self-sufficient they can live with the freedom and dreams all human beings are worthy of. We aim to help restore dignity and hope to formerly enslaved women. This is fair trade in its essence. Our goal is to source more products each year made by survivors, thus contributing in our own small way to the alleviation of human trafficking. Thanks for helping us do this!