Human Trafficking 101

Human trafficking comes by many names and comes in many forms. What is clear is this: all around the globe, millions of people are bought, sold, and transported for the benefit of their oppressors. Often, traffickers target society’s most vulnerable: young women, children, and impoverished persons. Some are forced to work in fields and factories, others in brothels and on street corners. In all cases, through force, fraud, or coercion, they must perform grueling labor or commercial sex acts with little hope of rescue.

The issue of human trafficking, modern-day slavery, or commercial exploitation is not only a foreign issue. There have been human trafficking cases in all 50 of the United States, including New Hampshire. Not only is this a global atrocity, it is a growing problem without enough support in our local communities.

Awareness has grown in recent years, but much work is still needed. Much of what drives human trafficking is demand: for illegal sex, for inexpensive clothing and electronics, for higher profit margins. Companies in the chocolate, clothing, fishing, and coffee industries, to name a few, have used trafficked labor in recent years. As responsible consumers and citizens, we need educational resources and stricter discipline to ensure we are not complicit in these crimes.