According to the Do Something campaign:
- According to some estimates, approximately 80% of trafficking involves sexual exploitation, and 19% involves labor exploitation.
- There are approximately 20 to 30 million slaves in the world today
- According to the U.S. State Department, 600,000 to 800,000 people are trafficked across international borders every year, of which 80% are female and half are children.
- Globally, the average cost of a slave is $90.
- California harbors 3 of the FBI’s 13 highest child sex trafficking areas on the nation: Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego.
- Human trafficking is the third largest international crime industry (behind illegal drugs and arms trafficking). It reportedly generates a profit of $32 billion every year. Of that number, $15.5 billion is made in industrialized countries.
- In 2016, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children estimated that 1 in 6 endangered runaways reported to them were likely sex trafficking victims.
- The victims of sexual exploitation are predominantly women and girls. Surprisingly, in 30% of the countries which provided information on the gender of traffickers, women make up the largest proportion of traffickers. In some parts of the world, women trafficking women is the norm.
- While the number of convictions for human trafficking is increasing, two out of every five countries covered by the UNODC Report had not recorded a single conviction.
- “Traditionally, traffickers have subjected women and girls to sex trafficking in brothels, bars, and massage parlors; however, in an attempt to better conceal their crimes, some traffickers have changed tactics and now exploit victims in hotel rooms and private apartments, making them harder for law enforcement to detect.”
- In 2012, total profits from sex trafficking worldwide were estimated at $99 billion, with the Asia-Pacific Region being the most active area in the world for this horrible practice.
The statistics and data are hard to swallow. Every year, as February 23rd comes around, I make a point to do more research and look for new information. Unfortunately, new numbers are hard to come by - There's not exactly a place for missing girls to mark that they're currently being sold for sex against their will.
But defying all odds are the organizations that have opened their eyes to this tragedy and are devoting time and resources into finding a solution. One that is near and dear to my heart is Agape International Missions (AIM) that focuses primarily on the issue in Cambodia.
During my collective two months in Cambodia, I saw and heard things that will forever haunt me. I saw with my own eyes, men preying on young girls that should have been in school learning how to provide for their future. I heard stories of the predators that come from the US and other western cultures to take advantage of the brothels and cheap sex that can be found there. Testimonials were shared by young women that had been through it and found a way to escape or be rescued - these are the ones that have touched my soul so deeply.
It's time to stand up. It's time to make a change. And it's time to make this world a better place for the generation coming up behind us. They're difference makers and loud advocates for what they believe in - but let's not leave it up to them.
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As the End It movement continues to thrive and promote awareness of the issue, we are all encouraged to post selfies with a red X on our hands to show the world we won't stand for it anymore. But the women affected by the issue don't get a voice, name, or face. So instead of a selfie, I block my face in solidarity with those suffering.
One girl is too many. One day is too long.
