During the financial crisis between 2007 and 2010, the average U.S. household lost 40% of its wealth. As the economy sputtered and unemployment soared, one global industry was doing better than ever: human trafficking. Having grown from an estimated $32 billion in 2009, it is now a business generating $150 billion in illegal profits every year. It exists in virtually every country in the world, and adapts fluidly to changes in government, law and social structure. Its covert nature and enormous profits means that human trafficking has not endured during these volatile years, it has thrived.
Meanwhile, economic downturns and political instability most affect the individuals and communities least resistant to shocks: the poor. Around the world the factors that contribute to vulnerability are complex. They include corruption, gender disparities, broken education systems, sexual abuse, lack of legal recourse, systemic violence, unrecognized legal status, war. The never-ending list affects everyone and drawing tidy arrows linking cause to effect can be difficult. Of all of these, poverty is the most fundamental risk factor for exploitation.
Alone or in combination with other factors, poverty carries with it an inevitable shift toward increased vulnerability. Poverty intensifies the effects of all the other factors and colors every decision made by individuals in its grasp. Regardless of race, gender or geography, poverty destroys stability and opportunity for entire communities. These vulnerable populations become easy targets for exploitation. Traffickers prey upon their desperate circumstances by kidnapping them or luring them in with false promises for a chance at a better life.
Years of international work across five continents have shown us that the difference in initial circumstance between an at-risk person and a victim is almost microscopic. Many consider victims to be responsible for their situations. They are men or women who, when faced with two paths, took the wrong one. Time and time again our experience and research has proven that this is far from the case. For individuals trapped in poverty, it is not about choosing correctly from among a selection of choices; it is about survival. Once victims, unequal power statuses, absent alternatives, and the threat of violence make genuine consent impossible.
Human trafficking is a stage in the cycle of poverty and exploitation. Our mission at Not For Sale is to break that cycle no matter where it occurs. The solution requires that we act against exploitation everyday. Today, do your part, share this information with a friend and make sure everyone in your inner circle knows how poverty is the greatest risk factor to being trafficked.
Stay tuned for exciting news on how we are ready to bring our mission home. We are counting on you and your friends to help us bankrupt the business of human trafficking.
During the financial crisis between 2007 and 2010, the average U.S. household lost 40% of its wealth. As the economy sputtered and unemployment soared, one global industry was doing better than ever: human trafficking. Having grown from an estimated $32 billion in 2009, it is now a business generating $150 billion in illegal profits every year. It exists in virtually every country in the world, and adapts fluidly to changes in government, law and social structure. Its covert nature and enormous profits means that human trafficking has not endured during these volatile years, it has thrived.
Meanwhile, economic downturns and political instability most affect the individuals and communities least resistant to shocks: the poor. Around the world the factors that contribute to vulnerability are complex. They include corruption, gender disparities, broken education systems, sexual abuse, lack of legal recourse, systemic violence, unrecognized legal status, war. The never-ending list affects everyone and drawing tidy arrows linking cause to effect can be difficult. Of all of these, poverty is the most fundamental risk factor for exploitation.
Alone or in combination with other factors, poverty carries with it an inevitable shift toward increased vulnerability. Poverty intensifies the effects of all the other factors and colors every decision made by individuals in its grasp. Regardless of race, gender or geography, poverty destroys stability and opportunity for entire communities. These vulnerable populations become easy targets for exploitation. Traffickers prey upon their desperate circumstances by kidnapping them or luring them in with false promises for a chance at a better life.
Years of international work across five continents have shown us that the difference in initial circumstance between an at-risk person and a victim is almost microscopic. Many consider victims to be responsible for their situations. They are men or women who, when faced with two paths, took the wrong one. Time and time again our experience and research has proven that this is far from the case. For individuals trapped in poverty, it is not about choosing correctly from among a selection of choices; it is about survival. Once victims, unequal power statuses, absent alternatives, and the threat of violence make genuine consent impossible.
Human trafficking is a stage in the cycle of poverty and exploitation. Our mission at Not For Sale is to break that cycle no matter where it occurs. The solution requires that we act against exploitation everyday. Today, do your part, share this information with a friend and make sure everyone in your inner circle knows how poverty is the greatest risk factor to being trafficked.
Stay tuned for exciting news on how we are ready to bring our mission home. We are counting on you and your friends to help us bankrupt the business of human trafficking.
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