Human Trafficking - Get Educated / Resources
Background
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Statistics
UN Office on Drugs and Crime's Global Report on Trafficking in Persons [1] reports that: Trafficked Persons -
Forms of Exploitation -
According to the Report, over the past 15 years, the percentage of children “detected” as trafficked persons has tripled and the percentage of boys has increased five times. The Report also noted that its statistics “may be the result of statistical bias. By and large, the exploitation of women tends to be visible, in city centres or along highways. Because it is more frequently reported, sexual exploitation has become the most documented type of trafficking, in aggregate statistics. In comparison, other forms of exploitation are under-reported: forced or bonded labour; domestic servitude and forced marriage; organ removal; and the exploitation of children in begging, the sex trade and warfare.” The magnitude of human trafficking and its ripple effects are unquestioned. The hard statistics can be harder to come by. The International Labor Organization numbers differ somewhat, yet are expansive. The ILO [2] estimates that 40.3 million people are enslaved: 20.1 million in forced labor, 4.8 million in forced sexual exploitation, and 15.4 million in forced marriage.
Globally, according to the ILO, 16 million people are exploited in the private sector (domestic work, construction, agriculture) and 4 million people are trapped in forced labor imposed by foreign governments. The forced labor industry sectors [3] most frequently documented are agriculture / horticulture, construction, garments and textiles under sweatshop conditions, catering and restaurants, domestic work, entertainment and the sex industry. Human trafficking also affects food processing, healthcare and contract cleaning. The U.S. State Department and ILO also report that 77% of trafficked persons are exploited in their countries of residence. The United States 2019 Trafficking in Persons Report [4] states that “[I]n the United States, traffickers prey upon children in the foster care system. Recent reports have consistently indicated that a large number of victims of child sex trafficking were at one time in the foster care system.” Human Trafficking is Big Business [5] Human trafficking earns profits of roughly $150 billion a year for traffickers, according to the ILO report from 2014. The following is a breakdown of profits, by sector:
While only 19% of victims are trafficked for sex, according to the ILO, sexual exploitation earns 66% of the global profits of human trafficking. (continued on column 2) 
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(continued from column 1)
Trafficking is an Injustice Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd Position Paper [6] on the Trafficking of Women and Girls states that “Trafficking is an injustice rooted in dynamics of our global world and current global economy. Structures and systems that intensify social inequality, support patriarchal power, prioritize economic profit above the value of the human person, and diminish the value of social relationships render untold women and children vulnerable to being trafficked for labor, human organ harvesting, surrogate pregnancy, and/or sexual exploitation. Trafficking is congruent with all forms of gender discrimination and gender-based violence, including the industries and governments that sustain prostitution and pornography. OLCGS stands with all persons who condemn this phenomenon and work to eradicate it and its systemic roots. … “The phenomenon of trafficking converges with current global flows of migration, patterns of armed conflict and war, climate induced displacement and economic supply chains of consumer goods. In all our work, we seek to analyze and address root causes, examining and unmasking links between trafficking and policies of economic injustice, violence against women, discrimination of the girl child, militarization, inadequate migration support, and the social acceptance of the prostituti9on of women and girls. We encourage participation … that support an end to trafficking and promote full empowerment of women and girls in all spheres of activity.” [1] https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/crime.html [2] https://www.ilo.org/global/topics/forced-labour/lang--en/index.htm [3] http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/faqs.html [4] https://www.state.gov/reports/2019-trafficking-in-persons-report/ [5] https://www.humanrightsfirst.org/resource/human-trafficking-numbers [6] https://www.gsadvocacy.org/uploads/5/5/6/0/55602515/trafficking_paper.pdf 
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Advocacy Tools / Resources
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Watch video of Good Shepherd Sisters combating sex trafficking in Thailand.
Lenten Campaign
Forced Labor in the Fishing Industry
(CCOAHT) is organizing a Lenten Campaign to raise awareness of forced labor in the fishing industry. In 2021, due to the global pandemic, a new humanitarian crisis has emerged that is severely impacting all men and women who work at sea. CCOAHT - together with Stella Maris and the Apostleship of the Sea of the United States of America (AOS-USA) - are urging Catholics and all people of good will to pay witness to the life of the seafarer and to leverage their voices as community members and consumers to uplift the safety and well-being of one of the world’s most invisible group of essential workers. Join CCOAHT, AOS-USA, and Stella Maris this Lent and Spring as together we elevate the visibility of the seafarers’ plight. Click here to download background about the Campaign and more information.
Organizations
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Check it Out Human Trafficking Conference Presentations
Presentation from select panelists at NAC's 2019 Human Trafficking Conference
Presentations from select panelists at NAC's 2018 Human Trafficking Conference
Presentation from select panelists at NAC's 2021 Human Trafficking Conference
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