Dear Activist,

Human trafficking affects every country in the world and accounts for 20 to 40 million people in modern slavery today. Although this issue is pressing and widespread, it goes unspoken in news outlets, political debates, and leaders’ agendas. Only 0.04% of human trafficking cases are identified, indicating that further action is needed to combat this form of modern enslavement.

Human trafficking is the use of force, fraud, or coercion to compel someone into sex acts, labor, or services; however, there is no single use of fraud, force, or coercion. Traffickers gain control over their victims through physical or sexual abuse, intimidation, isolation, threats, and economic abuse.

Human trafficking can take place in any community, whether it is developed or developing. There are no specific classifications the victims fall into, such as age, race, gender, or nationality. Traffickers often search for those who are psychologically or emotionally vulnerable, economically dependent, or politically unstable. The trauma caused by the traffickers have the potential of being so destructive that many may not identify themselves as victims.

The types of physical and mental abuse trafficking victims endure often lead to serious health conditions. Specifically, victims suffer from depression, eating disorders, anxiety, stress-related disorders, sleeplessness, memory loss, self-harm, aggression and more; the list goes on and on.

As a $150 billion global industry that robs 25 million people around the world of their basic rights, we must understand that governments and non-profit organizations alone cannot end this. It is our responsibility to work together to tackle the underlying systems that cause trafficking to be possible and beneficial.

One of Many

Human trafficking plagues numerous innocent people, one of which being Karla Jacinto, who was interviewed by CNN. Initially vulnerable due to prior abuse, she was targeted by a trafficker at age twelve in Mexico City. The man started telling her that he was also abused as a boy and acted affectionate and polite towards her. Therefore, it did not take much persuasion for Karla to leave Mexico City with him.

Karla spent three months with the man and was treated well, however, he soon pushed her into sex trafficking. He started telling Karla everything she had to do with the men to whom he would sell her; the positions, how much she needed to charge, how she was to treat them, and how she had to talk to them.

Working seven days a week, from 10:00am to midnight, Karla spent four years serving 30 men per day. Additionally, Karla opines she was raped 43,200 times after falling into the hands of traffickers. “I had to close my eyes so that I wouldn’t see what they were doing to me, so that I wouldn’t feel anything,” Karla mentioned in the interview with CNN.

At fifteen, Karla gave birth to a child fathered by the procurer who would use the daughter to threaten her. If she failed to fulfill his desires, he insisted on harming the baby. He took the child away and restricted Karla from seeing her until she was more than a year old.

Karla Jacinto was liberated in 2008 during an anti-trafficking operation in Mexico City. She was only 16 when it ended. Currently, Karla is an outspoken advocate against human trafficking and tells her story at conferences and events; read her full story here.

Activate Change

We must take initiative and put an end to human trafficking, so stories like Karla’s do not repeat themselves. Human trafficking occurs anywhere at anytime, and most of us are oblivious to it entirely. We must use our voices to better the lives of those who fall into modern slavery. Here are some ways to create change:

• Familiarize yourself with the signs of human trafficking through reliable websites or training sessions.
• If you are in the United States, call 1-888-373-7888, the 24-hour National Human Trafficking Hotline, or 911 if you believe someone may be a victim of human trafficking.
• Volunteer and support anti-trafficking organizations near you.
• Meet with or write to your local or state officials and ask what they are doing to address trafficking.
• Stay well-informed by setting up web alerts to receive trafficking updates.
• Check out CNN’s Freedom Project for more information regarding the types of human trafficking globally.
• If you are a minor, learn how to recognize traffickers’ recruitment tactics, safely navigate out of harmful situations, and reach out for help at any time.
• Offer jobs, internships, skills training, and other opportunities to trafficking survivors.
• Utilize your social media platforms by raising awareness about human trafficking.

Staying silent is the same as being complicit. We have the power and resources to activate change and better the lives of people around the world. Stories like Karla Jacinto’s occur everyday, and we must help ensure safety and security for everyone regardless of their age, background, and race. If we all use our voices to our advantage and demand justice and change, several more lives will be salvaged.

Cordially,

Nika Tarkian