We believe it is essential to thoroughly understand the issues of trafficking, slavery and abuse. Knowing the root factors, the stats, and the barriers to eradicating these social plagues is invaluable. Equipped with a deeper understanding, you will become more strategic as you shop for goods, engage others in conversations, and as you lobby for change.

At any given time in 2016, an estimated 40.3 million people are in modern slavery, including 24.9 million in forced labor and 15.4 million in forced marriage.
– 1 in 4 victims of modern slavery are children.
– Out of the 24.9 million people trapped in forced labor, 16 million people are exploited in the private sector such as domestic work, construction or agriculture; 4.8 million persons in forced sexual exploitation, and 4 million persons in forced labor imposed by state authorities.
– Women and girls are disproportionately affected by forced labor, accounting for 99% of victims in the commercial sex industry, and 58% in other sectors.
Source: Global Estimates of Modern Slavery: Forced Labour and Forced Marriage, Geneva, September 2017.

For a more in depth look into modern slavery on a global scale check out:
– 2016 UNODC Global Report on Trafficking in Persons
– UNODC Human Trafficking
– Annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report by the US Department of State

Global estimates published by WHO indicate that about 1 in 3 (35%) of women worldwide have experienced either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime. Almost one third (30%) of all women who have been in a relationship have experienced physical and/or sexual violence by their intimate partner. The prevalence estimates of intimate partner violence range from 23.2% in high-income countries and 24.6% in the WHO Western Pacific region to 37% in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean region, and 37.7% in the WHO South-East Asia region.

Learn how to identify victims of human trafficking through Homeland Security’s Tips and how to identify victims of violence through HelpGuide’s Tips

Put the following phone numbers into your phone contacts: The National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 (SAFE) and the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888

Understand the symptoms and impact of trauma at SAMHSA’s site