What is Human Trafficking?

"Human trafficking is defined as the recruitment, harboring, provision, transportation, or obtaining of a person for labor or services through the use of force, fraud, or coercion, for the purpose of subjecting that person to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery." Trafficking Victims' Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005.

Every year, between 700,000 and 4 million women and children are trafficked across International borders. US State Department Report on Trafficking in Human Persons 2002

After arms and drugs, the trafficking of women and children for sexual exploitation is the third largest source of profit for organized crime.

What does trafficking look like in your area?

Spend some time looking at television, local newspapers and magazines to see if you can discover the situation regarding this "hidden" violence where you live.

Underlying Causes

"We are in this life because of poverty and also because of a culture that puts women in lower status." Testimony of a sexually exploited woman.