Each year on July 30th, the United Nations and the international community commemorate the day as World Day Against Trafficking in Persons to raise awareness and encourage action. This year’s theme is “reach every victim of trafficking, leave no one behind.” With over 50M victims, this is no small task. And it will require every one of us to better understand this issue and commit to finding ways to help.
So today, we encourage you to take some time and look through the reports, studies, and tools we’ve curated below. These resources will help you learn more about the reality of human trafficking around the world and in the United States. Then, take a look at the action items we suggest you take this World Day 2023 to make an impact.
Expand Your Knowledge
The latest Global Estimates of Modern Slavery Report, published by the International Labour Organization, estimates that 50 million people were living in modern slavery today.
According to the Global Slavery Index, published by Walk Free Foundation, that means that 1 in every 150 people in the world are presently experiencing this level of exploitation.
The U.S. Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report highlights the efforts that countries are taking to address human trafficking, and in this year’s report especially, stresses the importance of multi-sector partnership to succeed.
The Sweat and Toil app, created by the U.S. Department of Labor, is a resource that will help you understand efforts to eradicate child labor, and you can learn more about goods that are produced with child or forced labor in various countries around the world.
Expand Your Impact
When we become better educated, we become better equipped to make an impact. Here are a few ideas to help you take action in meaningful ways this World Day:
- Share the knowledge you’ve gained about human trafficking with someone you know.
- Take the free, 1-hour Human Trafficking Awareness Course from Justice U so that you are ready to recognize and report human trafficking.
- Save the National Human Trafficking Hotline number in your phone.
- Explore Engage Together’s role-specific resources and choose at least one idea to take action on this coming month in your local community.
We believe that human trafficking does not have to exist in our world today. But it will take a world of people to end it – including you! Every one of us is uniquely positioned to make a difference. Together, change can and will happen.