Background Prepared by Andrew Madlambayan

Sexual Trafficking is the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of persons for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation. Sexual trafficking is accomplished by means of fraud, deception, threat of or use of force, abuse of position of vulnerability, and other forms of coercion or for short term; Human Trafficking. Many in the world wouldn't know how to define this unsocial justice topic, yet many haven't even heard the word. Human Trafficking is one of the largest profit of 37 Billion dollars around the world (Polaris Project) and counting. Its one of the biggest injustice in the world today and is getting bigger everyday. About 80% of the trafficking involves sexual exploitation and 19% labor (do something). Human Trafficking is one of the biggest problems in our world today.

One of the main groups in our society that have been oppressed would have to be our women. Back then women were viewed as maids and people who take care of everything while the husband works. We know this because it is very common to see prostitutes working off dept for their pimp. Women can be sold for sex and if not compliant then they will be slaved and working as a maid. Sex trafficking also takes place in a variety of public and private locations such as massage parlors, spas, strip clubs and other fronts for prostitution. "An estimated 2.4 million people are currently in forced labour-including sexual exploitation-as a result of trafficking" (BNET 1). This contributes to them being targeted by the oppressor because they see someone who they can over power and force into physical or sexual labor. Women are most targeted because they see them as not only physical laborer but sexual as well. Children are also targeted by oppressor because they are very easy to train and very gullible. Kids are mostly sold by their parents or a relative to the oppressors most likely to pay off a debt that they owe. They are very young and stronger than women which means that they are mostly used for hard labor like building or carrying heavy loads. "According to the U.S Department of State, 50% of trafficking victims internationally are under age 18" (U.S Dept. State 1). Many children are being kidnapped and trafficked every single day in the world. Many are beaten and slaved till they grow to become old men. Children are easily targeted by oppressor because they are too young to know the right from wrong. Many people are kidnapped, sold, and forced into labor, but many people have been tricked and lied to lure them into labor. "Human trafficking is the practice of people being tricked, lured or otherwise removed from their home or country, and then compelled to work with no or low pay" (absoluteastronomy). This quote states that many people have been promised work with high pay and a place to stay. Many people dont know what they have got themselfs into until it is too late. A high percentage of the people who have been trafficked are the ones who have been lured in and tricked. People dont realize it until its too late. We can stop this from happening if only more people knew about this social topic and maybe save people from these horrible experiences. The oppressors are people who abuse, beat and use people for sexual use. Whore houses and pimps are a good examples of oppressors. They pick young teens and women to sell sexual pleasures for other people. Most of the oppressors trick their victims with false advertising and sometimes using physical force. Beatrice Fernando from Sri Lanka was promised a job and a great amount of profit to work in Lebanon. She had no idea that she would be working as a slave and being beaten by her master. The book Enslaved states that "I was going to work as a maid for two years in Lebanon so i can make money to support my son" (Sage 90). She was immediately put to work and beaten. She was held by her will and was slaved. Most of the victims of human trafficking are being tricked and promise work but they are setting themself's up for slavery. Some of the social systems involved is the whore house industry is evil disguised as good. People go and have a good time. People go and have a good time for sexual pleasure but the girls are being held and treated as dogs, beaten and abused by their pimps. A big think that keeps the general public from recognizing this system is that the public does not know about this huge social justice. The general public is not aware that slavery was not abolished and is still present in our world today. Most of the time the oppressors threaten their victims and if they try to run away they will find and kill them. Jill Leignton states "I wanted to run away but i had the fear of Bruce finding me and killing me" (Sage 80). Jill was terrified and did not want to be beaten anymore so she kept it to herself. Many victims grow a strong bond with their abusers, thats why it is hard to stop this injustice. What the world is doing to prevent this injustice is setting up websites, books and other thinks to get the publics attention and make it well known about human trafficking. Many people do not know about this topic and the ones who do know are trying to make it known. A big reason why people want this information to be known is because if they have the knowledge then we will have less people being victims. Slavery is still in the U.S in the 20th century. The reactions of politicians, citizens and other systems is that nobody wants to get their hand dirt because this is one of the biggest social topics in the world. The human trafficking truths state " Approximately 20,000 individuals are trafficked into the U.S" (HTT). Human trafficking is expanding and we need to prevent it from getting any larger. Human trafficking is one of the biggest problems in the world today and is becoming one of the bigeest criminal enterprise. Many victims are not aware of this issue and by having the knowledge it will stop uneducated victims from making this mistake. We need people to help stop human trafficking and save the victims that are already out there. If we all join together as a community we can prevent this criminal injustice to come to an end.