Commodification

Human Trafficking: An American Tradition of Silence
|

Human Trafficking: An American Tradition of Silence

In the hushed corners of our society, a sinister industry flourishes, largely hidden and unspoken of. It’s an issue so shocking and perplexing that people tend to ignore it when brought to light. This is the pandemic of sex trafficking and child sex trafficking. One might presume that in a civilized, developed nation like the…

Racism and Human Trafficking
|

Racism and Human Trafficking

As I commemorated Martin Luther King, Jr. this week and thought about racial justice, one area we don’t talk enough about is the racialized reality of human trafficking. According to the Congressional Black Caucus, 57.5 percent of all juvenile detention prostitution arrests were of Black children, and 40 percent of sex trafficking victims identified as…

“My story can change things” – Pieper Lewis, September 13th 2022
| | |

“My story can change things” – Pieper Lewis, September 13th 2022

Joint statement regarding the sentencing of Piper Lewis prepared by the Iowa Network Against Human Trafficking and Slavery and Shared Hope International In sentencing child sex trafficking survivor, Pieper Lewis, on September 13, 2022, Judge David Porter stated, “Ms. Lewis, this is the second chance you asked for. You don’t get a third. Do you…

Spatial embeddedness: The case of child labour on BT cottonseed farms – Times of India
| |

Spatial embeddedness: The case of child labour on BT cottonseed farms – Times of India

The global discourse resolutely insists on ending child labour which is often associated with slavery, forced labour, sexual exploitation and any work damaging the health and well-being of children. This is done by invoking a moral terminology which argues that low labour standards in ‘errant’ countries of the Global South are unacceptable, unfair and illegitimate…

‘Modern day slavery’: Lawmakers, advocates seek change after Republic prison labor investigation
| | | |

‘Modern day slavery’: Lawmakers, advocates seek change after Republic prison labor investigation

Reacting to an investigation by The Arizona Republic and KJZZ, lawmakers and advocates are calling for a review of the state’s use of prison labor. “Forced prison labor is nothing more than modern day slavery, and our state’s growing reliance on this workforce is irresponsible, immoral and inexcusable,” said state Sen. Martin Quezada, D-Glendale. “Any public…

On women's rights, West takes a backward step, and India shows the way
|

On women's rights, West takes a backward step, and India shows the way

At a time of distressing furore on social media and the streets against the near-total bans on abortion in the West, India’s generous stance on the termination of pregnancy is a comforting sanctum. Coupled with the moratorium on commercial surrogacy and the proposal to equalise men’s and women’s ages at marriage, India is positioned securely…

Chinese government seeks to head off outrage over human trafficking – WSWS
| |

Chinese government seeks to head off outrage over human trafficking – WSWS

For months, the Chinese government has been trying to contain widespread anger over human trafficking. The issue erupted at the end of January, when a woman’s plight in Feng County of Xuzhou, in the eastern province of Jiangsu, sparked social media attention. Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, and Premier Li Keqiang vote during the closing…

Engaging stakeholders to counter human trafficking: UNODC provides platform for the Sindh Anti-Human Trafficking Committee to hold a provincial consultation
| | | | | | | |

Engaging stakeholders to counter human trafficking: UNODC provides platform for the Sindh Anti-Human Trafficking Committee to hold a provincial consultation

Karachi, Pakistan – 25 May 2022 – UNODC, under the framework of the EU funded GLO.ACT project and in collaboration with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), has been advocating with federal and provincial authorities to establish Trafficking in Persons (TIP) coordination committees across the country. As a result of this advocacy work, the government of…

A Dire Threat to Women’s Health and Equality: Why Commercial Surrogacy is a Violation of Human Rights
| |

A Dire Threat to Women’s Health and Equality: Why Commercial Surrogacy is a Violation of Human Rights

In Susan Dominus’s stunning report on commercial surrogacy in Ukraine (“It’s a Terrible Thing When a Grown Person Does Not Belong to Herself,” 3 May 2022), the fraught and dangerous mental and physical impact of surrogacy on mothers is evident. Regrettably, however, Dominus did not take the opportunity to scrutinize the parallel horrors now occurring…