Human Trafficking: A reversal in society?

In this blog post, the international project director, Bethan, introduces us to some shocking facts about the industry that is human trafficking.

"Human trafficking is the fastest growing criminal enterprise in the world.[1] Men, women and children are tricked, lured and stolen across borders into some of the worst situations imaginable. Some are trafficked for prostitution, and forced to have sex with up to 30 customers a day[2]. Some are trafficked for labour and can be forced to work sixteen hour days in back braking labour for no pay. Others are trafficked for domestic slavery, where they are abused by a household in which they are not paid. In possibly some of the worst cases, humans are trafficked for organs, often dying in the process.

Two decades ago, human trafficking was rarely heard of. Today, it is acknowledged as one of modern societies major problems, not leaving one country untouched in some respect.[3] The following is a personal reflection of modern day slavery through my own experiences of working with survivors.

In my first year of University my flatmates started volunteering in a safe house that looked after survivors of human trafficking. This was my first ever exposure to the issue and I did not understand it. As a history undergraduate, I was of course aware of slavery, but only in the context of the past. A year later, I became a member of a student organisation called Enactus which exists to catalyse social change through entrepreneurial action.[4] Within Enactus I was part of a new project working with City Hearts, a safe house in Sheffield who looks after survivors of human trafficking in the short term, providing rehabilitation care.[5] We began working with the women, teaching them entrepreneurial skills around the model of a jewellery business.
Whilst working within this project I became close to some of the women, and heard some of their stories. It was at this point that the very human realities of trafficking set in for me. Working with women who cannot look you in the eye and flinch whenever you come near is a difficult experience. Hearing stories of young women trafficked at the age of 12 and impregnated at the age of 13 is harrowing, and working with women who have been locked up and not allowed outside for years exposes you, none to gently, to the realities of this world for some people within it. Equally, seeing some of the young African women terrified of a black magic that their traffickers had performed on -them, and at a high risk of re-trafficking because of it, is an almost uncomprehendable situation. Seeing the positive impact of the project on these women was rewarding, but the realities of trafficking had set in, and they were there to stay.

 We abolished the slave trade once and now put human rights at the very centre of our development. The modern world is no place for slavery, or is it?"

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[1] FE Okonofua, SM Ogbomwan, AN Alutu, O Kufre, A Eghosa, ‘Knowledge, attitudes and experiences of sex trafficking by young women in Benin City, South-South Nigeria’ Soc Sci Med (2006), p.179.

[2] http://www.stopthetraffik.org/the-scale-of-human-traffiking [date accessed: 27/09/13]

[3] Kim Namhee, Gary Mclean, Stephanie Mace, Donal Venneberg, James Amell, ‘Human Trafficking’ Advances in Developing Human Resources (2012) p.336.

[4] www.enactussheffield.org [date accessed: 28/09/13].

[5] http://www.city-hearts.co.uk/ [date accessed 24/09/13].