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Modern slavery: The biggest threat to the human rights movements

23/6/17

Slavery did not end with abolition in the 19th century. Modern slavery blights our society and harms people all over the world.
Slavery continues today in every country in the world. Women forced into prostitution. People forced to work in agriculture, domestic work and factories. Children in sweatshops producing goods sold globally. Entire families forced to work for nothing to pay off generational debts. Girls married off to older men.
There are estimated to be 45.8 million people trapped in slavery around the world, more than at any other time in history. Grace Forrest, the founding director of the Walk Free Foundation, said modern slavery continued today in every country in the world and illegally generated an estimated 150 billion dollars globally. “Modern slavery is one of the greatest man-made problems facing humanity today, and each and every one of us have a role to play in its final abolition,” Grace said. 
Hundreds of African refugees and migrants passing through Libya are being bought and sold in modern-day slave markets before being held for ransom or used as forced labour or for sexual exploitation, survivors have told the UN's migration agency. 
People are bought for between $200 and $500 and are held on average for two to three months, Othman Belbeisi, head of the IOM's Libya mission, said in Geneva.
"Migrants are being sold in the market as a commodity," he said. "Selling human beings is becoming a trend among smugglers as the smuggling networks in Libya are becoming stronger and stronger."
Someone is in slavery if they are:
forced to work – through coercion, or mental or physical threat;
owned or controlled by an ’employer’, through mental or physical abuse or the threat of abuse;
dehumanised, treated as a commodity or bought and sold as ‘property’;
physically constrained or have restrictions placed on their freedom of movement.
Forms of modern slavery
Forms of exploitation can range from forced prostitution and forced labour to forced marriage and forced organ removal.
Forced labour – any work or services which people are forced to do against their will under the threat of some form of punishment.
Debt bondage or bonded labour – the world’s most widespread form of slavery, when people borrow money they cannot repay and are required to work to pay off the debt, then losing control over the conditions of both their employment and the debt.
Human trafficking– involves transporting, recruiting or harbouring people for the purpose of exploitation, using violence, threats or coercion.
Descent-based slavery – where people are born into slavery because their ancestors were captured and enslaved; they remain in slavery by descent.
Child slavery – child slavery is often confused with child labour, but is much worse. Whilst child labour is harmful for children and hinders their education and development, child slavery occurs when a child’s labour is exploited for someone else’s gain. It can include child trafficking, child soldiers, child marriage and child domestic slavery.
Forced and early marriage – when someone is married against their will and cannot leave the marriage. Most child marriages can be considered slavery.
Many forms of slavery have more than one element listed above. For example, human trafficking often involves advance payment for travel and a job abroad, using money often borrowed from the traffickers. Then, the debt contributes to control of the victims. Once they arrive, victims are told they cannot leave until they pay off their debt.
Slavery can affect people of any age, gender or race. However, contrary to a common misconception that everyone can be a victim of slavery, some groups of people are much more vulnerable to slavery than others. People who live in poverty and have limited opportunities for decent work are more vulnerable to accepting deceptive job offers that can turn exploitative. People who are discriminated against on the basis of race, caste, or gender are also more likely to be enslaved. Slavery is also more likely to occur where the rule of law is weaker and corruption is rife./.
Facts about slavery
20.9 million people are in modern slavery across the world
5.5 million children are in slavery across the world
11.7 million people are in slavery in the Asia-Pacific region, mostly in bonded labour
3.7 million people are in slavery in Africa
1.6 million people are in slavery in Latin America
1.5 million people are in slavery in developed economies
14.2 million slavery victims are exploited in economic activities
4.5 million people are in forced into sexual exploitation
98% of people trafficked for sexual exploitation are women and girls
2.2 million people in slavery are exploited by governments

US$ 150 billion – illegal profits forced labour in the private economy generates per year
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All comments [ 7 ]


yobro yobro 24/6/17 18:24

One hundred forty-three years after passage of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and 60 years after Article 4 of the U.N.'s Universal Declaration of Human Rights banned slavery and the slave trade worldwide, there are more slaves than at any time in human history .

John Smith 24/6/17 18:25

Today’s slavery focuses on big profits and cheap lives. It is not about owning people like before, but about using them as completely disposable tools for making money.

For A Peace World 24/6/17 18:35

With conflict driving the desperation and disorder that enabled human traffickers to thrive, the Security Council should pursue cooperation on cross-border prevention, protection and prosecution in fighting the widespread impunity they enjoyed amid the mass displacement of vulnerable millions.

Gentle Moon 24/6/17 18:37

This cruel behaviour must be stopped now!

Red Star 24/6/17 18:51

There was a clear need to make the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its Protocol against Trafficking in Persons more effective.

Socialist Society 24/6/17 18:54

Vietnam has worked with its regional partners to disrupt and dismantle the economic model of traffickers in the Southeast Asia area. Stronger cooperation with neighbouring countries had brought together actors on the ground, including non-governmental organizations.

LawrenceSamuels 24/6/17 18:56

Much more must be done to punish and prevent the crime!

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