If you’re having a week where it’s all you can do to keep-on-keepin’-on (I know I sure am), it may feel too overwhelming to think about human trafficking. It’s weeks like this that I flip through my Hagar calendar and just let these quotes and statistics sink in, letting them alternately comfort and challenge me.

1 in 3 Cambodians live on less than $1 a day, leaving little extra income to fund children’s education. (UNICEF)

Hagar was a woman outcast and rejected by her society. In her darkest moments when all hope seemed lost, her life was restored.

Thousands of Vietnamese women and children are trafficked to China and Cambodia annually. (UNIFEM)

“My friend dared not tell other about the abuse. He was suffering in silence and he cried a lot.” —Vbol, Boy’s Recovery Shelter, survivor of human trafficking

“My life is different. I learned how to love. I am finally free.” —Lanh, Hagar Vietnam, survivor of human trafficking

“I have a new life now and thank God for that.” —Sopheap, Cambodia Women’s Shelter, survivor of rape and human trafficking

Afghanistan is the most dangerous country in the world for women due to violence, poverty, and poor health care. (Thomas Reuter’s Foundation 2011)

“My dream is to be a non-profit organization manager, because I want to help abused victims like me rebuild their lives.” —Ny Theary, Cambodia Children’s Recovery Shelter

“I was broken in every way. But I found a new life when I cam to Hagar. I started to believe that I have worth.” —Nhan, Hagar Vietnam, survivor of abuse

“Before I didn’t know hot to forgive others. I learned God can change a person no matter how bad they are. I am changed. I thank God.” —Srey Neang, Cambodia Children’s Bible Camp

Fifty-seven percent of all marriages in Afghanistan are classified as child marriages. (UNIFEM)

“The blackness is going and God is shining in my heart.” —Qujen, Cambodia Girl’s Recovery Shelter, survivor of human trafficking

Find out more about human trafficking.
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Here’s more from the article:

Less focus is still given to capacity for women to drive change …

Winnie Byanyima, Director of the UNDP Gender Team said that by empowering women could provide the “triple wins” for sustainable development.

“If we are going to succeed on addressing climate change and fighting poverty,” she said. “We must link them together and we must link them to gender equality.

“Sustainable development is not about the environment alone. It requires us to implement the three pillars of development – the social, economic and environmental. In every case women’s equality and access to energy must be fully integrated.”

For example, Bachelet explained to the audience, research into the average energy consumption of single men and women in the western world, showed that on average men use 22% more energy.

While other research has highlighted the willingness of women to change their daily habit in order to save energy and protect the environment, compared to men.

…

“It is time empower people to make sustainable choices but for many it is not about the lack of access to sustainable choices but about not having choices at all…This is particularly true when it comes to women and girls,” she said.

…

Women need to have access to education about the energy sector, the summit argued. Currently in science, technology, manufacturing and engineering in the developing world only one in five students are women and only 20% of the workforce is female.

Below, COP17 (17th Conference of the Parties) President Maite Mashabane talks about the UN talk’s designated Gender Day.

Learn about ethical fashion.
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1. 1. Money is what traffickers are focused on.
   2. We’re all consumers so we can all help.

Here’s just how big the business is:

The United Nations estimates unlawful sex trafficking generates approximately $5,000,000,000 a year in revenues.

The trafficking industry as a whole generates about $32 billion each year.

About $15.5 billion is made in industrialized countries and $9.7 billion in Asia.

Each forced laborer generates an average $13,000 per year. This number can be as high as $67,200 per victim per year.

Below are some ways (from our about human trafficking page) to get started shutting down the business of human trafficking.

How Can We Fix the Problem?

The problem is big (huge, even), but don’t be discouraged. Small actions make a big difference—especially when more people get involved. The news is more and more full of stories about human trafficking, but there’s more and more good news as everyday abolitionist like you get involved in putting an end to this crime.

Use your skills and gifts. The best way to end trafficking is to look at what you’re already good at or love doing and find a way to use it to help end human trafficking. Do you love writing? Compose blog posts, Facebook statuses, and letters to congressmen or trafficking victims. Are you a musician? Write a song or play at a benefit concert. Good with finance? Help a rescue organization or a survivor of trafficking organize and use their money. Love to bake? Host a bake sale for an organization. Love accessorizing? Shop Stop Traffick Fashion(of course!). The possibilities are endless. Never underestimate the power of your passions.

Find out what to watch for and report trafficking. Don’t try to confront the trafficker or rescue the victim yourself. This is dangerous work. If you see something that worries you, contact one of these tip lines:

• • The Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement: Call (866) 347-2423 or use the online form.
  • Polaris Project: 1-888-373-7888 for help and information and to report possible instances of trafficking.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security lists warning signs and has an awareness training video. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services lists these indicators to look for:

• • Evidence of being controlled
  • Evidence of an inability to move or leave job
  • Bruises or other signs of battering
  • Fear or depression
  • Non-English speaking
  • Recently brought to this country from Eastern Europe, Asia, Latin America, Canada, Africa or India
  • Lack of passport, immigration or identification documentation

Support law makers and law enforcement. IJM is a great source of information on justice in legislation. Their Facebook page and email updates will give you a heads up on items that need action. Make sure you know your state and federal senators and representatives names. A quick, easy call to your senator can help sway the law in the way of justice.

Find out what your local police are doing to fight trafficking. Support them by using local tip lines and voicing the need to make training to identify trafficking victims a priority.

Support education and opportunities for women. Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn will give you great ideas. You can tutor at-risk girls in your community or fund a microloan for a mother through World Vision or Kiva. Follow the STF blog for more ideas.

Support organizations who work with trafficking victims. (There’s an annotated list in the resources section). Here are just a few to get you started: Hagar International, the International Justice Mission, Magdalene House, and The Polaris Project. Money does help. At Hagar, $25 buys books and materials to teach one woman to read; $50 pays for intensive counseling services for one month; $100 yields one week’s care for a woman at Hagar Women’s Shelter; $250 funds school tuition for one child, for one year; and $500 pays for three months’ training program to prepare one woman for sustainable employment. New Hope Christian Ministries of Pakistan was able to purchase the freedom of a family enslaved in a brick kiln for just $200.

Be an ethical consumer. There are lots of ways to make your spending habit more ethical. Certified fair trade products hold to a system of ethics and accountability that makes sure workers are treated fairly at every stage of the production process. This way you can be sure that slaves didn’t produce the product. Plus, workers who are paid fairly aren’t entrapped by poverty—they’re able to educate and protect their families from traffickers. Free2Work is a great resource to educate yourself as a consumer. When you can’t find a fair trade option or something your confident will have a positive impact, Free2Work can help you pick the better option between two retailers. This website (there’s also an app for reference while you’re shopping) shows you which companies do not have forced, trafficked, or child labor in their production. Each company is grade based on the ethical choice the business makes. So in the absence of an A+ choice, you’ll be able to find out who got a B- and chose them over a company that got a D-. Better World Shopping Guide is a similar app you can use when you’re shopping. Rather than getting overwhelmed by choices, choose a few items that you use often, like coffee or chocolate, and commit to buy fair trade. Read this post on ethical fashion and follow the blog to get more ethical spending tips.

If you can’t find ethical shopping options, tell retailers that’s what you want. Tell the manager of your grocery store why fair trade is important and participate in Call+Response‘s Chain Store Reaction.

Tell others abut human trafficking. This is as easy as reposting news stories on your Facebook page or telling the cashier at the grocery why you’re buying fair trade coffee. The Stop Traffick Fashion blog and the CNN Freedom Project will keep you supplied with information to share. Plus, you can be part of this hopeful statistic shared by CNN: “Nearly 2,000 people have come out of slavery, either directly or indirectly, as a result of the hundreds of  stories broadcast on air and published online.” It’s even easier to tell others if you become an STF Social Media Ambassador or throw an STF Home Party.

Find out more about human trafficking.
Shop ethical fashion made by survivors.
Be a part of the solution: Be part of Stop Traffick Fashion.

Here’s where to look:

Serrv: From a small group of church relief workers helping refugees rebuild after World War II, SERRV has grown into a $9.5 million fair trade network connecting thousands of artisans in developing countries with customers and volunteers across the United States.

Fair Indigo: The Fair Indigo label was created to make much more than a fashion statement. Our mission is to create high-quality, wearable styles without the exploitation of workers and the environment that too often goes with the territory. With incredibly efficient operations and word-of-mouth advertising, we can keep our prices real too.

The Hunger Site: When you shop at The Hunger Site store, each item you buy funds at least 25 cups of food for the world’s hungry — at no extra cost to you! For each item purchased, 3% to 50% of the item’s retail price will be kept aside to be granted to our charity partners through GreaterGood.org.

Bishopston Trading Company: Bishopston Trading Company is a fair trade company whose sole aim is to provide employment for the people of K.V.Kuppam with whom we have been working in partnership since 1985.

Trade As One: Our mission is to use fair trade to promote sustainable business and break cycles of poverty and dependency in the developing world. We all have a conscience. We want to make sure people get the chance to use it when they shop.

Sevya Fair Trade: Sevya Fair Trade is a member of the Fair Trade Federation and is dedicated to preserving the indigenous art forms of India by supporting the artisan communities who uphold these traditions. Sevya reinvests all profits–after covering operating costs–back into these communities through micro-finance, health care, and educational programs.

Casablanca Market: For beautiful, authentic, high-quality, & fair trade produced Moroccan products make sure you bookmark CasablancaMarket.com and come and visit us every time you want to recreate the mystery and romance of Morocco. We pride ourselves on doing business in accordance with humanitarian principles as a fair trade Moroccan furniture and import company.

World of Good: Furniture should be bought to last! Kick the habit of buying cheaply made pieces in favor of gorgeously crafted, Fair Trade, and responsibly produced furniture on WorldofGood.com. From seats to stools, you’ll love the lasting difference!

Worldstock Fair Trade: The handcrafted touch of artisan skill creates variations in color, size and design. If buying two of the same item, slight differences should be expected. Note: Color discrepancies may occur between this product and your computer screen.

The Fair Trade Furniture Company: Fair Trade is fundamental to our core beliefs and values. We do all we can to ensure our suppliers are treated fairly and we are committed to minimising our environmental footprint.

Learn about ethical fashion.
Shop products made by survivors of human trafficking.
Be a part of the solution: Be part of Stop Traffick Fashion.

Everyday Abolitionist is a recurring feature on the blog where we’ll hear firsthand from someone using their skills, talents, and opportunities to fight trafficking. This time around we have Dan McKown who is a business veteran working with Freeset and Freedom Initiatives.

Read about more Everyday Abolitionists.

How did I first find out about human trafficking?

I was able to retire from a 34 year career with a Fortune 500 company at the age of 55. I remember making a statement at one of my retirement dinners that I didn’t know what I was planning to do next for the rest of life, but I said that I hoped God had a plan where I would be able to help others and make a notable difference. Little did I know that when I said that statement that within 6 months I would be making plans to move from Scottsdale, AZ., back to the Minneapolis, MN to interview with the cofounder of Freeset in Kolkata, India. Freeset was in the Freedom Business; it’s a transformational  business, employing ex-sex trade workers (human trafficked victims) to make bags and t-shirts and exported them to more than 10 countries. Most of my business background was in sales, marketing and distribution and that was what Freeset needed help with. The goal was to make plans to grow the business so more women could know freedom via employment.

What is it about the issue of human trafficking that compelled you to action?

Realizing that that this was such a massive issue, I did wonder how just one person could have any impact at all. The first night in India I could not sleep, and I was able to start to process a lot of thoughts and concerns. I realized that if I could have an impact on one person’s life it mattered, and that was what I felt I was being asked to do. One person at a time would help to change the lives of others. This thought challenged me to become involved with to make a difference.

How you are using your talents and abilities to fight trafficking?

At Freeset I have been able to use my past skills of management leadership in the sales, marketing and distribution efforts to help Freeset grow their global business. As a result, in the past four years Freeset has doubled the number of women employed to 200.

In addition, I helped form a 501c 3 (tax exempt) organization called Freedom Initiatives that provides business counseling for freedom businesses that are involved in dealing with fighting human trafficking.

Between these two opportunities I have been networking with domestic and international organizations that are involved in trying to make a difference in this fight for personal freedom.

Why is it important for individuals to become involved in fighting human trafficking?

Considering the size of the issue of those who are trafficked globally and that it’s the #2 dollar grossing world business, this is a unjust human tragedy! Whether you want to call it social justice or wanting to make a needed awareness change, each of us can play a role of some sort. I like the term human justice and that we should all feel compelled to Act Justly, Love Mercy and Walk Humbly. Those who are blessed need to help those who are the voiceless, lack hope and need to have a chance of knowing dignity and freedom.

How does donating to the cause have an impact on lives of trafficking people?

Whether it’s a transformational or rescue organizations working on this issue, they need support for their operations, training staff and volunteers. They are on the front lines on a daily basis trying to make a different in people lives so they can know the results of freedom.

What advice would you have for people who are interest in getting involved in human trafficking but don’t know where to start?

Start by being educated on the issue.

Do research on areas that might interest you. Look at specific websites of organizations involved that as NGOs  (non-governmental agencies) as well government agencies. Consider one-year, short-term commitments as interns, donate time, and ask specific organizations how you can be involved to make a impact and make a difference.

Plus:
Read more about Freeset.
Shop ethical fashion made at Freeset.

Find out more about human trafficking.
Shop ethical fashion made by survivors.
Be a part of the solution: Be part of Stop Traffick Fashion.

If you’ve read much about ethical fashion and empowering women, you’re probably surprised to hear good things about Walmart and IKEA. Big box stores are notorious for having a detrimental effect on the environment and people. (Learn more about ethical fashion.) But here’s some good news. “US retail giant Wal-Mart has launched a special training programme for more than 60,000 female workers at 150 of its supplier factories in India, Bangladesh, China and Central America,” according to Just-Style. And “The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) … has partnered with IKEA Foundation in a project that aims to help build the self-reliance and financial skills of over 50,000 women in 500 villages in three districts of Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populated but least developed state,” according to Technorati.

Here’s more from the articles about how Walmart and IKEA are working to empower women:

“We wholeheartedly believe that investing people is good for business, but also good for communities,” Meredith Menhennett, Wal-Mart’s senior manager of ethical sourcing tells just-style. “It will strengthen communities within the supply chain, it will also strengthen families.”

The partnership programme, to which IKEA has pledged €30 million, aims to promote this target group’s financial literacy, thereby “strengthening their technical, institutional, managerial and financial skills so that they are able to play a larger role in the social and economic development in the villages.”

There’s still progress to be made. These and many other companies are far from perfect, but it’s encouraging to hear that companies are responding to consumers and the problems in the world around them. It’s empowering to know that most corporate efforts like these come about not from the bleeding, compassionate hearts of executives, but from the consistent cries of consumers. Companies know that if consumers aren’t happy with them, they won’t buy their products. And that gets them where it hurts: the bottom line. So don’t underestimate your power as a consumer to change the world. Find tools for ethical spending.

Learn about ethical fashion.
Shop products made by survivors of human trafficking.
Be a part of the solution: Be part of Stop Traffick Fashion.

What is Human Trafficking?

“Captives Set Free” by Collin Rowland

“Human Trafficking is a crime against humanity. It involves an act of recruiting, transporting, transferring, harboring, or receiving a person through a use of force, coercion, or other means, for the purpose of exploiting them,” according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

Human trafficking is the fastest growing form of international crime and the second largest source of income for organized crime, surpassing even the drug trade. Today an estimated 27 million men, women, and children are held as slaves. Each year, more than 2 million children are exploited in the global commercial sex trade. According to the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA), all commercial sex with minors is human trafficking, regardless of whether force, fraud, or coercion are evident. Although the name suggests it, human trafficking doesn’t necessarily involve transporting victims. People can be trafficked on the same street they grew up on.

Human trafficking, also known as modern-day slavery, is driven by coercion and exploitation. Physical force and violence often are part of the crime, but sometimes the oppression comes through psychological or emotional manipulation, insurmountable debt, immigration or other legal threats, or blackmail.

According the U.S. Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons report, trafficking has eight major forms:

• • forced labor
  • sex trafficking
  • bonded labor
  • debt bondage among migrant laborers
  • involuntary domestic servitude
  • forced child labor
  • child soldiers
  • child sex trafficking

Greed and money drive slavery. Human trafficking thrives because the risks for traffickers are low and the profits are high. According to the U.N., the total market value of human trafficking is over $32 billion. In 2007, slave traders made more money than Google, Nike and Starbucks combined. While more and more traffickers are being prosecuted each year, conviction rates and sentences still aren’t high enough to deter criminals. Some countries and states still don’t have effective laws to convict traffickers.

Human trafficking robs victims of choice and freedom. It takes advantage of vulnerability and leaves a lasting impact on its victims. For survivors the physical, mental, emotional, and financial scars follow them the rest of their lives. It’s a dehumanizing crime that occurs under the surface of everyday life. But it’s also a crime that can be stopped with everyday abolitionists learn what to be aware of and commit to using their abilities and interest to eradicate modern day slavery.

• Go to back to the top • Email to ask a question about human trafficking • Shop products made by survivors •

How is Modern Slavery Different From Past Slavery?

This information is adapted from this post about Disposable People by Kevin Bales. Read more about Disposable People.

One striking difference between modern day and historical slavery is the quantity: There are more slaves today than in the whole 400 years of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. The increase in slavery today is driven by the increase in the world population and the growing economy in places where slavery is most prevalent.

In today’s slavery, ownership is no longer central. In the past control came primarily through ownership. Today control comes primarily through violence and intimidation. Legal documentation of ownership is not as important. Written contracts are sometimes used, but their purpose is to entrap slaves and conceal what’s really happening from the outside world.

Race isn’t a key factor in slavery today either. Bales says, “The criteria for enslavement today does not concern color, tribe, or religion; they focus on weakness, gullibility, and deprivation.”

Slavery today is an economic endeavor, driven by money rather than simple hatred, and while slavery is illegal in every country there are very few economic controls on slavery. Economic sanctions have been successful in attacking drug and weapons cartels, but haven’t been widely used in fighting human trafficking. If governments and people make slavery unprofitable, it will stop.

Because so many people are readily available and vulnerable to being enslaved, they have become a less and less valuable commodity; slave prices are lower than they have ever been. Most slaves are used heavily until they are too sick or too weak, then they’re left to fend for themselves and often die.

In the past the cost of slaves was high, the return on investment was good, and there was motivation to keep and preserve slaves. Today the cost of slaves is low, the return on investment extremely high, and there is little motivation to keep and preserve slaves. Slaves become disposable. You work your car hard, but you take care of it through routine maintenance and repairs; however, you use a printer as much as you want, and then when it no longer works properly, you throw it away and get a new one—it’s not worthwhile to invest in maintenance or repairs. Slaves used to be like cars, now they’re more like printers.

One generation of slavery isn’t better or less criminal and inhumane than another—absolutely not. Old slavery and new slavery both take away a person’s freedom and humanity, but it’s critical to understand slavery today to stop it.

Find out more about human trafficking.
Shop ethical fashion made by survivors.
Be a part of the solution: Be part of Stop Traffick Fashion.

• Saturday, May 5th: Every year Nada throws a great Cinco de Mayo party. This year the event benefits Transitions Global so it’s a great party for a great cause!
• Saturday, May 12th: To celebrate World Fair Trade Day, a new boutique in Newport, KY is having their grand opening! It’s Only Fair is located at 123 E. 9th Street in Newport, KY. The boutique will be carrying all fair trade merchandise, as well as products made by survivors of trafficking. Get the details of the grand opening event here. We’ll be there selling our T-shirts!
• Tuesday, May 15th: End Slavery Cincinnati is having a fundraiser at Northside Tavern. Come to this event to help them raise money and awareness. More details here!
• Saturday, May 19th: The OTR 5k Run & Summer Celebration are happening from 10am-5pm. This year the market is curated by The City Flea…and you know we love The City Flea. Come out to support OTR and the great vendors (including us) at the flea!

It’s no secret: Human trafficking can be depressing to read about. Here’s a 10-minute pep talk from journalist Nicholas Kristof, author of Half the Sky.

In this TEDxWomen interview, he speaks about the resilience of the men, women, and children he’s met in his travels around the world. People assume, based on the dark topics he reports on, that he must be “profoundly depressed or highly neurotic.” But he insists that “side by side with the worst things happening in the world, you see the very best.”

Everywhere he goes around the world he sees humanity and altruism—and we can see it to if we pay attention.

For example, Kristof explains that while traveling for the film Reporter, he saw atrocities and met with warlords, but a Polish nun who was teaching children and saving lives had the biggest impact on him. “She restored my faith in what humans are capable of more than the warlord undermined it. So I actually came back from eastern Congo feeling better about humanity, if you believe it or not.”

He tells another story of a trafficking victim in Kolkata who had a fourth grade education. While it sounds like almost nothing, that minimal literacy was enough to give her the skills and courage to escape. And even more good news: “Education is incredibly cheap.”

I love his optimism: “I really think this is a war that we are winning.”

So don’t give up. Find ways to help out and fight back. Read about everyday abolitionists who are making a difference. Read about survivors of human trafficking.

Find out more about human trafficking.
Shop ethical fashion made by survivors.
Be a part of the solution: Be part of Stop Traffick Fashion.

“A Call for Equal Rights for Women Farmers” from VOA highlights the world-changing potential of empowered women. The report focuses on women farmers in the developing world, particularly in Africa. Faustine Wabwire of Bread for the World shares insight into the problem—and the solution. Find out from Bread for the World how you can help empower women.

“Women constituted half of the agricultural labor force in not just Africa, but the developing countries as a whole. And when you think of Africa alone, it’s more than sixty percent of the total agricultural labor force being provided by women.”

The report says in most countries, women working in rural areas are more likely than men to hold seasonal, part-time and low-wage jobs. They also receive less pay for the same work.

…

“For most of Africa, we have about eighty percent of the population living in rural areas and they subsist on agriculture. Now women make sixty percent of the agricultural labor force and they have no access to resources. So, for example, land is one good example where less than twenty percent of all landholders are women.”

This is often because of legal as well as cultural reasons. She says women who have lost their husbands may have no legal rights over their land. The only way to keep the land, she says, is to marry, say, the brother of the dead husband.

…

“This assistance through programs such as Feed the Future, which is the U.S. government’s agriculture program, is helping to elevate the status of women. It’s enabling women to access productive resources such as seeds. They are able to have access to extension services, which will enable them to produce more and contribute to healthy societies.”

But Ms. Wabwire says more African governments must recognize the major role that women play in agriculture and elsewhere. The report says, “Putting more income in the hands of women translates into improved child nutrition, health, and education.” It gives women a way to “transform the economic life of the communities and countries in which they live.”

Learn about ethical fashion.
Shop products made by survivors of human trafficking.
Be a part of the solution: Be part of Stop Traffick Fashion.