Human Trafficking Awareness Month

January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month; it’s a cause that’s long overdue for a month dedicated to the issue. The U.S. State Department estimates human trafficking brings in $32-billion a year and is the world’s fastest growing criminal enterprise. According to the Huffington Post, an estimated 27 million people are victims of human trafficking throughout the world.

It’s a bit overwhelming, isn’t it? It makes you think, what can one person do? How can one company help? At HAPARI, we love having a lifestyle blog and being able to connect with our readers. We love creating amazing swimwear that you’ll love. We also hope to be a beacon of light towards good in the world. In order to do that, we must bring attention to issues that plague our society; one of them is human trafficking. So for today’s blog post, we’re bringing awareness to the issue of modern day slavery in hopes to educate our readers on the issue. In our small way, this is something HAPARI can do to help.

Info on Human Trafficking

To begin our post, we thought it would be helpful to post a few facts and information on human trafficking. What exactly is it? What all does it entail? Human trafficking is described as the the illegal movement of people, typically for the purposes of forced labor or commercial sexual exploitation. According to the United Nations, almost every country or province in the world is affected by human trafficking. The act of human trafficking is often vile in and of itself; it involved abuse, violence and often sexual exploitation of vulnerable individuals in order to entrap them.

Human Trafficking in the United States

While we may believe human trafficking is a problem for other countries, and not the United States, this simple isn’t the case. According to the United Nations, almost every country or province in the world is affected by human trafficking, including the United States. The State of California recently published a report saying, “The United States is widely regarded as a destination country for human trafficking. Federal reports estimate that 14,500 to 17,500 victims are trafficked into the United States annually. This does not include the number of victims who are trafficked within the United States each year.” And, in fact, California is the one of the largest sites of human trafficking in the U.S. and in the world.

Organizations that Help

It’s incredibly disheartening to look at statistics regarding human trafficking. It’s hard to hear about the terrible trials the victims endure. And, it seems hard to imagine where we can start to combat human trafficking. To conclude our post, we’ve compiled a list of organizations that dedicate their purpose to fighting against human trafficking. If you’re looking for a place to start to help make a difference in this issue, try contacting one of these organizations.

Trafficking Policy and Advocacy: Polaris Project

The Polaris Project is one of the most influential organizations working to end human trafficking in the United States. The organization advocates for stronger federal and state laws. They also operate the National Human Trafficking Resource Center hotline for victims.

Trafficking of Men and Young Boys: Urban Light

Many organizations focus efforts on helping victimized girls and women in human trafficking, Urban Light focuses on helping the lesser known victims, boys and men.  By providing food, shelter, healthcare, and support services, the group helps restore and rebuild the lives of male victims.

Child Labor: GoodWeave

The handmade rug industry has one of the highest child labor rates in the world. When GoodWeave began its work in 1994, there were nearly one million children — many kidnapped or trafficked — working on the looms in South Asia, often for up to 18 hours a day. Through its efforts, the organization has not only helped bring child labor in the rug industry down 75%, it has built affiliations with retail outlets all over the U.S. to ensure that all carpets sold are free from child labor.

We hope this post brings awareness and education to the issue of human trafficking. Stand up, be heard, and let’s make this world a better place.

For more information on human trafficking, please visit the U.S. Department of State, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons.